Soulcatcher
by hummerhouse
Summary: A visit from April sends the turtles on a seemingly simple mission to put a stop to a crime wave. It soon becomes clear that they aren't doing battle with anything natural. Multi-chapter fic. 2k3. Turtlecest, language, horror, supernatural. The preview image is a Tlingit soulcatcher, made by Heendei, of the Raven moiety and the Deisheetaan clan.
1. Chapter 1

Soulcatcher  
part 1

". . . and she's just not the same," April concluded, eyes searching Master Splinter's, wanting him to understand. With a sigh she added, "It's hard to explain. She was hurting, really hurting, over the loss of her mother. It's too soon for her to have just buried those emotions."

When she paused to take a sip of her tea, the aged ninja said, "Perhaps she is seeing someone, a therapist possibly. Some professional who is helping her through this emotional time."

April looked into her cup and frowned. "That's just it, if she were seeing someone, she'd have told me. Brittany _chatters_ ; it can be annoying but my customers seem to love it. My sales have gone up since I hired her to help around the shop on the weekends. None of her private business is ever actually private."

Leonardo sat near them at the table, silent yet observant. He had sensed April's need to talk almost as soon as she'd entered the lair. That was confirmed when, having dropped off the supplies that Don had requested, she'd accepted an offer of tea from Master Splinter. It was late afternoon on a Saturday, a time that was usually busy in her antique shop. She should have been in a hurry to leave.

"Other than her mother's death, has anything unusual happened to Brittany?" Leo asked, growing curious about April's new assistant. The turtles had seen her but had avoided any interaction, staying away from April's shop on the days the new girl was working.

April started to shake her head but then stopped, her brows knitting in thought. "Actually yes, now that I think of it. She walks from her apartment to my shop; it's not far and there are usually other people around. A couple of weeks ago she was mugged. I hadn't realized it before now, but that's when she began acting strange. She wouldn't have told me about the incident except that I noticed her odd behavior and asked if something had happened."

"Was she hurt?" Leo asked.

"No," April answered. "Oddly enough, the mugger didn't take anything, not even her pocketbook. She said he grabbed her, she screamed, and he let her go. Even when Brittany was telling me of the incident she didn't sound as animated as she usually is."

"Two traumatic events occurring with weeks of each other could easily cause someone to become withdrawn," Master Splinter said. "Your Brittany may be questioning her own mortality. Such thoughts could have a profoundly sobering effect upon a young person."

"Even if that were the case, Brittany wouldn't be like that _all_ of the time," April insisted. "There should be moments when an old flash of her vibrant personality still shines through. It's almost as though she has no feelings at all anymore." With a sigh, she said, "I told you it doesn't make sense."

Leo drained his cup, searching his memory for why April's story sounded familiar to him. In a second he had it.

"I heard two similar reports about muggings just like that, where nothing was taken," Leo said. "They were only sound bites on the evening news, but they occurred within weeks of each other. Usually when someone embraces a life of crime, they escalate, they learn from past mistakes and become more violent."

"It's probably not the same person then," April responded. "Maybe a gang initiation? Let's hope they continue to be so inept, that way they'll be caught faster."

"Being apprehended by the authorities would certainly be the best way to dissuade them from continuing down a path of crime," Master Splinter said sagely. "More tea, Miss O'Neil?"

"Thank you Master Splinter, but I'd best not," April said. "It's near closing time and I've left Brittany by herself in the shop long enough as it is."

She rose from her seat and reached for her empty cup but Leo set his hand atop it first. "I'll take care of it, April. Thanks again for running that stuff over to Don, he could have gone to your place later."

"It was no problem. Besides, by the time he pulled his head out of whatever he's working on, it would have been late and I'd rather sleep than wait up half the night for him," April said with a laugh.

Leo had politely risen when April did. "May I give you a lift back to your shop?" he asked.

"No, I'd rather walk and grab some fresh air," April said, "or at least what passes for fresh in this city. Don't worry, the muggings only happen after dark and that's not for a few hours."

"I hope the situation with your friend gets sorted out," Leo said as he walked April to the elevator. Raph was in the garage and would see her safely off.

"I do too," April said, pausing in the doorway. "The old Brittany was emotional but endearing. Now she just seems so . . . cold. She's not the people person that I hired and that's worrisome. I'm afraid that if she doesn't snap out of it I may have to let her go. Even the idea of doing that makes me sick, but every business decision I make has to be value added if I want to stay in business."

"You'll do what you can, you always do," Leo said warmly. "Let me know if I can help. How about my brothers and I start patrolling the area? We can try to catch that mugger or muggers. Maybe if Brittany knows he's off the streets it will help her heal."

"That's a great idea," April agreed enthusiastically. "I doubt the police have devoted manpower to that task; they're spread thin trying to keep up with other more violent crimes."

"Brittany probably knows that too," Leo said. "Worry over being attacked by the same guy might be part of her problem. People shouldn't have to deal with those types of concerns. We'll clean it up, leave it to us."

"Of that I have no doubt," April said with a smile as she stepped into the elevator. "Thanks Leo. Bye!"

Leo waited until the doors had closed before heading back to the kitchen. His father was indulging in another cup of tea which finished off the pot, so Leo washed that as well as the cups and saucers he and April had drunk from. Master Splinter was done before Leo completed that chore, so he accepted his father's dishes and cleaned those as well.

Leaving a now tidy kitchen, Leo moved on to Don's lab. An idea had formed as he washed up and he meant to follow through with that, his promise to April at the forefront of his mind.

Don was at a worktable when Leo entered his lab. The only part of the olive hued turtle that Leo could see was his body; Don's head and hands were buried inside a large metal box. Surrounding him on the table and floor were electronic components that Leo did not recognize, some of them the new things that April had brought over.

After a couple of minutes it became obvious that Don wasn't aware of Leo's presence. Although Donatello was a trained ninja, Leo didn't fault his brother for his lack of perception. Not only was Donny an extremely focused turtle when he was working, but at the moment he was making quite a lot of noise. The fact that Leo was the most naturally silent of the four siblings also had to be taken into account.

"Donny," Leo finally said, keeping his voice low.

Rather than responding, Don began banging on something inside the cabinet. With a frown, Leo tried again, this time louder. "Donny!"

Leo grimaced as Don jerked upright, hitting his head in the process.

"Ow!" Don exclaimed, emerging from the cabinet and rubbing his bald dome. "Oh, hey Leo. Were you standing there long?"

"A few minutes. I didn't mean to startle you but you didn't hear me the first time. I'd have waited, but from the looks of things you might have been camped out in there for a while," Leo said.

Don's expression turned sheepish. "Thanks for not lecturing me on being unaware of my surroundings," he said.

"I wouldn't dream of doing that to you inside your own lab," Leo said, and then added humorously, "Not when there are so many sharp objects you could throw at me."

Chuckling, Don asked, "Was there something you needed?"

"You still have a security camera mounted inside April's shop, don't you?" Leo enquired.

"Yep," Don answered. "Is April having a problem? Why didn't she tell me about it?"

"No problems," Leo said, following his brother to the area that held his computer console array. "She's concerned about Brittany, her new employee. April says the girl has been behaving oddly since being mugged a couple of weeks ago."

"Odd how?" Don asked, his fingers flying over one of his keyboards. A console flickered to life and then as the image on it sharpened, the brothers could see the interior of April's shop.

"According to April, the girl is usually quite vivacious," Leo said, his eyes on the screen. "She suffered the loss of her mother a few weeks ago and has been sad about it, but since the mugging she hasn't even been displaying that emotion."

The viewing lens on the camera afforded them a wide angle look at the interior of April's shop. They could see Brittany, a slight girl with short blond hair, at the counter ringing up a customer's purchase.

Throughout the entire exchange, Brittany didn't smile even once. Her face seemed frozen, lacking the smallest sign of emotion or of normal courtesy. It was very off-putting to watch and Leo could only imagine how her customer felt.

April arrived as the customer was leaving. She stopped to speak to him, her smile warm and her entire manner welcoming. He nodded to acknowledge something she said and then before leaving, cast a frown in Brittany's direction, which went unnoticed by the girl.

"I can see what April meant when she told you Brittany is behaving oddly," Don said, watching as April walked over to the counter to speak to her employee. "I tuned in a few times when April first hired her and she was very different. If April hadn't told me that Brittany was an only child, I would have said this was a twin. No one's personality changes that much."

"It had to have been something about that mugging that caused this," Leo said.

April said a few words to Brittany, sending her scurrying off towards the back storage room. Once the girl was out of sight, the red head turned to look up at the camera. Somehow she had sensed that the turtles were watching and seeing the red light on confirmed that for her.

With an exaggerated shrug, April mouthed the words, _"Do you see what I mean?"_

"Yes April, we do," Leo replied aloud, though she couldn't see or hear him. "I'll keep my promise."

"What promise was that?" Don asked, glancing up at his brother.

"To try and catch the guy who mugged Brittany. I think him or a group just like him, have been responsible for similar muggings," Leo said.

"I saw those news reports," Don said. "It would be good to get them off the streets."

Leo squeezed Don's shoulder in acknowledgment before grimacing slightly. "I only hope that helps," he told the genius. "From the looks of things, it might not be enough."

Their eyes were drawn back to the screen as Brittany once more came into view. As she set to work filling empty spaces on the shelves, more customers arrived. When Brittany turned to greet them her expression didn't change, remaining frozen and unemotional. And just a little scary.

"Not nearly enough," Leo murmured.

"Should we be worried about April?" Don asked, concern in his voice.

"I would have said no before seeing this," Leo said. "Now I'm not so sure. I doubt if we need to warn her though, she's already anxious about the situation. She won't be taken by surprise."

"I don't like it," Don said flatly, voicing the protective feeling they all had for their big sis.

"Neither do I," Leo replied. He watched as the couple Brittany was waiting on fled from the shop without looking at anything.

His voice low, Leo repeated, "Neither do I."

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

When Donatello suggested that it would be a good idea to try and find additional information regarding the two previous muggings, Leonardo agreed. Leaving Don to that task, Leo went in search of his other siblings.

Michelangelo he found in the dojo, working on the speed bag. It was a new acquisition and Mikey had taken to it, finding it more of a challenge than the heavy bag that Raph preferred. When Leo had showed surprise at the amount of time Mikey was spending in the dojo now, Mikey had told him he liked the speed bag because it improved his sense of timing and his rhythm.

"Meeting in Don's lab in ten minutes," Leo told his younger brother once he'd gained his attention.

Mikey reached out to still the bag and asked, "Something brewing?"

"Maybe," Leo answered, already heading out. "April dropped a little something in our laps."

He made sure he was gone before Mikey could ask more questions. Arousing Mikey's curiosity was the best way to get him to their meeting on time.

Leo took the elevator up to the garage where he knew he'd find Raphael. Don had scavenged a plumber's van from the wrecking yard and with Raph's help they'd hauled it back home. The two of them had been working on it for a couple of weeks, sometimes together, sometimes separately.

There were several positives about the new project, one of which was that such an innocuous vehicle would be practically invisible to the city's inhabitants. There were no side windows for anyone to look through and the ones in the front and back were covered in a dark film.

When Leo entered the garage he saw that Raph was working on the engine block, which was still suspended from chains attached to the ceiling. They wouldn't drop it into the van until it had been completely overhauled.

Raph appeared totally concentrated on what he was doing so Leo stood quietly and waited for his brother to acknowledge his presence. While they all had a working knowledge of automotive engines, Raph's skill was the only one on par with Don's in that department. Therefore it was usually only Raph who was allowed to work unaided on any of their vehicles.

Leo would have liked to share that with Raph the way that Don did. The two middle brothers had such an easygoing relationship that Leo was often envious of it. Don could _communicate_ with Raph. It was more than simple conversation, it was a deep understanding that Leo wished he could achieve.

Too often when Leo talked to Raph one of them would say something that the other would misconstrue, and an argument would break out. Where Mikey wouldn't take Raph's words seriously, and Don would gently question, Leo's response to an aggressive tone was to push back. Their verbal shoving matches led to actual physical altercations all too frequently and that wasn't what Leo wanted at all.

They were at an uneasy truce at the moment and Leo was striving to maintain it for as long as possible. He wanted Raph to be more comfortable with him, to see him differently. The underlying antagonism in their relationship wasn't healthy for either of them, for their family, or for their team.

Simply finding an even rhythm to their interactions would satisfy Leo enough to last him a lifetime. He didn't dare hope for more and denied himself those thoughts when his mind grew rebellious and tried to imagine something better than that. The words 'happy' and 'fulfilled' weren't meant to occupy Leo's vocabulary.

Still he couldn't help how his eyes tracked every movement that Raph made. Leo couldn't help it that the sounds of Raph's exertions, the grunts or murmured curses, cut straight through him. He couldn't help it that the one brother he wanted to be around most of the time was the brother he didn't dare stay near.

"What's up?" Raph asked, finally acknowledging Leo's presence.

Though Leo was fairly certain Raph had purposely ignored him for an extra few minutes, he pretended not to have noticed. "Are you at a stopping point? We're having a conference in Don's lab in about five minutes. It's about something April asked if we'd take care of for her," Leo quickly added, wanting to avoid having Raph think he was being officious.

Raph looked thoughtful as he set his tools down on the work table. "Yeah, she did seem worried about something when she left," he said as he squirted hand cleanser onto his palms. Rubbing it in thoroughly, he grabbed a shop towel to wipe the loosened grease onto. "It ain't the Shredder is it? His thugs ain't been bothering her have they?"

"No, it's nothing to do with the Foot or Hun and his Purple Dragons," Leo said, falling in step with Raph as he started walking towards the elevator. "It will make more sense if I tell it while you and Mikey watch something that Don taped earlier."

"Big mystery," Raph said. The doors closed behind them and the elevator began to descend. "I hope ya' didn't sign us up to baby sit shoplifters. That ain't the kind of job a trained ninja needs to be doing."

Leo sifted through a number of answers, wishing he didn't have to worry so much about how he worded things. "No shop lifters involved," Leo said after a moment, keeping his tone light.

He noticed the sharp look Raph shot in his direction but was saved from having to react because the doors slid open just then. Leading the way, Leo went directly to Don's lab.

Mikey was already there waiting for him. "Don won't tell me what's going on," he said, making his words sound accusatory.

"I told him I wasn't going to explain things twice," Don countered, setting the facts straight.

"Go ahead and run a playback of what we saw in April's shop earlier," Leo requested. "I'll explain what April told me as we watch."

As Leo launched into a retelling of the story April had laid out for he and Master Splinter, Don started to play the recording he'd made a quarter of an hour earlier. Raph and Mikey kept their eyes glued to the video screen, their concentrated expressions letting Leo know they were following his every word.

"When I first saw Brittany I thought she was kind of cute," Mikey said after the tape played out and Leo stopped talking. "Now it's total 'Creepsville'. No way do I want an introduction."

"Don't ya' think she has enough problems without ya' threatening to show her your ugly mug?" Raph asked. "Besides, we don't need to meet _her_ , what we want is the asshole who jumped her."

"I agree," Leo said. "As I promised April, we're going to start patrolling her neighborhood so we can try to catch whoever this mugger is. Did you find out anything more about the two previous muggings, Don? Were they in the same general area?"

"Yes they were," Don answered. "Though there wasn't much more to be found out about them, I did establish that the incidents took place within a mile and a half radius of April's shop. Here, let me show you."

Don pulled up a map of April's neighborhood and with a few keystrokes placed red dots on the places where the three muggings had occurred.

"Were you able to establish a timeline?" Leo asked.

With a nod, Don pressed another series of keys. Both dates and times appeared above each of the red dots.

"Brittany's was the most recent," Don explained. He placed a 'B' in the center of the red dot to indicate which belonged to her. "The first of the muggings with a similar MO occurred six weeks before Brittany's. A sixty year old widower on his way home from the bodega nearest to where he lived was grabbed from behind and pulled into an alley. Though he was carrying cash, nothing was taken."

Don typed a 'P' into the center of one of the two remaining dots. "His name is Harvey Plotkin. He survives on a fixed income and has been living in the same apartment for twenty-seven years."

Something Don said struck Leo as familiar and he asked, "When did his wife die?"

Giving Leo a curious look, Don said, "I wouldn't have thought to check that but the information happened to be in the couple of paragraphs the paper devoted to the mugging. His wife of forty years passed on just the month before."

"So it would probably be safe to say he's been pretty upset, right?" Mikey asked, catching on to Leo's train of thought.

"Unfortunately that fact isn't in the news reports, but I'd guess the answer is yes," Don said.

"Tell me that's just a coincidence and victim number two hasn't suffered a death in the family," Raph said.

"Victim number two," Don said, inserting a 'D' into the remaining red dot. "Victor Dominico. A thirty-three year old carpenter who moved here from Ames, Iowa with his partner Brent Stapleton four months ago. They'd been together for seven years."

"That's past tense, right?" Mikey asked.

"Yes," Don said. "His partner was killed by a hit-and-run driver a week before Dominico was mugged. As you can see, that mugging occurred exactly two weeks after Plotkin's."

"And Brittany's happened exactly two weeks after Dominico's," Leo said. "Certainly _not_ a coincidence."

"Someone's targeting people in mourning?" Mikey asked. "What the shell for? Did they take anything from Dominico?"

"Nothing," Don supplied. "None of the muggings lasted beyond a few moments and nothing was taken from any of the victims. They were all attacked from behind and didn't get a look at the mugger. Each victim described the mugger as incredibly strong, saying that he wrapped one arm around their chest and grabbed them by the throat with the other hand before dragging them into a secluded area."

"What happened after that?" Raph asked. "He just what, let them go?"

"Exactly," Don answered, turning his head to look up at Raph. "I don't know what Plotkin looked like, but I can't imagine either he or Brittany could have put up much of a fight. Dominico on the other hand is a big guy; easily six-four and two hundred pounds. He told authorities he couldn't even fight the mugger because of the hold the man had on his neck. Apparently in all three cases, the mugger grabbed his victim in exactly the same manner, dragged them off, choked them a little and let them go."

"Okay, that's too bizarro," Mikey said, "even for New York City. How would the guy even know these people were in mourning?"

"Maybe he opens his paper to the obituaries first thing every day," Raph said. "I notice each of the muggings is farther from the one before it. They might all be within the same radius, but they ain't clustered. 'Course it's hard to tell from a sampling of only three, but I wouldn't stake our success on guessing he's gonna stay within those boundaries."

It was that type of astute observation that made Raphael such a good hunter. He sometimes even seemed to have a sixth sense on where to locate their quarry. It was a skill that Leo both envied and valued.

Leo wanted to offer Raph a visual acknowledgment of his conclusion, but Raph's eyes were on Don, so he settled for saying, "I think you're right. We'll have to find another way to locate him."

"If ya' can't find the bad guy the next best thing to do is locate his prey," Raph said.

Don's expression lit up and he beamed at Raph. "Brilliant! We know he's after people who are in mourning, so let's do what he probably does and read the obituaries."

Raph squeezed Don's shoulder as the genius turned back to his computer to begin a search. As Don scrolled through a long list of death notices, Raph leaned over him, his cheek nearly touching his brother's.

Leo couldn't help but feel a touch of resentment at how comfortable those two were with each other. Raph's hand lingered and Don seemed to enjoy his proximity, showing not the least bit of unease with having the larger turtle hovering over him.

As he watched the list of recent deaths scroll by, Mikey said, "Man, I didn't realize that many people died in the city every day. How are we going to narrow that down?"

"These aren't all from a single day," Don told him. "I'm compiling this list from several different papers over a two week period. After I have the names, I'll write an algorithm that incorporates location and survivor statistics. That should narrow it down for us."

"How fast can you have that done?" Leo asked.

"Oh, by dinnertime for sure," Don said. "Depending on the number, we might have to go with good old fashioned gut instinct to decide who we should watch."

"If the list is big, we'll probably have to split up," Leo said. "Raph, do you think you can get hold of Casey and have him on standby? We may need his help covering the potential targets."

"No problem," Raph said, straightening up and removing his hand from Don's shoulder. "He's been complaining that he's bored, so he'll be falling all over himself to help."

Don's focus was on his computer, where he was typing in a sequence of commands. "Then you guys better leave me alone so I can get this done on time," he said.

Raph's lopsided grin made Leo's heart skip a beat. "That's Brainiac's way of saying 'beat it'," he translated with a laugh. "I've got at least an hour on that engine before I'm ready to scrub the grease off of me, so Leo, either you or Mikey have dinner duty."

"We'll both do it," Leo said before Mikey could find an excuse to escape the chore.

The three siblings walked out of Don's lab and Raph headed towards the elevator. "That's probably the best idea," he said, looking meaningfully at Leo. "Leaving ya' to your own devices in the kitchen is usually a recipe for disaster."

"I'm not that bad," Leo protested good-naturedly, happy for once to be teased by Raph.

"Oh yeah?" Raph countered. "I'm gonna quote Donny-boy and say that statistically speaking, my statement was dead on accurate."

The elevator whisked him away before Leo could offer a retort. Turning to follow Mikey into the kitchen, the smile on Leo's face faded.

Seeing Raph and Don interact made him feel wistful again. Scratch what he'd thought earlier about their easy going relationship, it was more than that. They were genuinely close, Don having achieved something that Leo would have bet no one could.

Leo should have been happy about that. Having a brother who he could relate to helped keep the infamous hot head grounded. The problem was that Leo wished he was the brother in question rather than Donny.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

With Michelangelo's help, Leo managed not to burn the two chickens he roasted for the family dinner. It was important to him to show Raph that he wasn't completely helpless in the kitchen, a feat Leo probably couldn't have pulled off if Mikey hadn't been involved in the process.

Leo was gratified at the look of surprise on Raph's face when he sat down at the table and surveyed the meal. Along with that feeling came one of guilt at being prideful, especially when Leo couldn't truly claim to have single-handedly cooked the food. It seemed dishonorable to accept accolades under those circumstances, but Leo was anxious for Raph's approval.

Still, Leo's personal code wouldn't allow him to gain favor by downplaying Mikey's role in dinner preparation. When Master Splinter congratulated him on the meal, Leo announced that he couldn't have managed it without his youngest brother's help.

Not that Leo should have expected Raph to be effusive in his praise. In fact, the red banded turtle said nothing with reference to the food, but he did begin to eat without teasing Leo about the quality. That and the first surprised look was enough to lighten Leo's heart.

After Donatello had taken a few bites and then commented favorably on the meal, he said, "I finished running the program I wrote against that list from the obituaries. I've got a few candidates that we can chase down and then keep under surveillance."

"Damn Donny, that was fast," Raph said, pausing with his fork halfway to his mouth. "When's the last time we said ya' was brilliant?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it isn't often enough," Don batted back with a grin.

Leo watched the exchange from the corner of his eyes. It didn't appear that Raph was incapable of offering praise, he simply wasn't going to extend any to his oldest brother.

A noise from the sewer tunnel entrance caught the family's attention. Leo half rose from his seat as the others turned to look in that direction, but upon seeing that it was only Casey Jones they all relaxed.

"Sorry I'm late," Casey said loudly as he approached the table. "The city's doing some road construction near here and it's got traffic backed up."

"Forgot to tell ya', I invited Casey to dinner," Raph said, using his foot to shove an empty chair towards his friend.

"You are most welcome at our table any time, Mr. Jones," Master Splinter said graciously as Casey sank into the chair.

"Home cooked grub beats the heck out of take out," Casey said, helping himself to a piece of chicken and some mashed potatoes. "Especially when it's followed by a hunt for some bad guy."

"I wish we could tell you exactly who it is we're looking for, but we simply aren't sure," Leo told him.

"Hey I'm okay with that," Casey said as he munched on a chicken leg. "Point me towards something and I'll take it from there."

"We're trying to track down a mugger who doesn't steal anything," Don explained.

Casey glanced up at him. "The one who jumped April's new girl? That chick has been acting weird ever since that happened."

"She wasn't the first," Mikey said with his mouth full. "Don found two others."

"No shi . . . um, kidding?" Casey amended, remembering at the last second that Master Splinter was seated nearby. "Didn't he take anything from either of them?"

"Nope," Raph answered. "He grabs them, drags them someplace dark, and then lets them go after choking them for a couple of minutes."

"I've heard of thugs with kinks, but that's out there," Casey said, shaking his head. "Ya' know he's gonna end up really hurting somebody. That's the way it always goes unless they get stopped quick."

"We're going to try and do just that," Leo said. "All three victims had the same thing in common; they recently lost someone they loved. Using that criteria, Don came up with a potential victim pool. Our best bet seems to be following them when they go out at night and trying to catch the guy in the act."

"He ain't bothered anyone during the day?" Casey asked.

"Not yet. From the pattern he's established so far, it's unlikely he will go after someone during daylight hours," Don said.

"So, is all this 'cause April told ya' about Brittany?" Casey directed his next words to Master Splinter. "I told her she should talk to ya' about the girl, 'cause you're so wise and everything."

"She did indeed follow your advice," Master Splinter said. "It was Leonardo who decided on a course of action that we hope may aid in Miss Brittany's recovery."

"Way to go Leo," Casey said. "April's been real bummed about this Brittany thing. She's even afraid to leave that gal alone in the shop now."

"There's no guarantee our catching the guy will help," Leo warned.

"Bet it does," Mikey said. "It freaks people out to know their attacker is on the loose. They think he'll come back again. That's probably why Brittany isn't happy anymore. She's too scared."

The subject moved on to something else then but Leo's mind continued to dwell on it. He thought Mikey might be right about the change in Brittany's personality. Of all of them, Mikey had the best insight into human motivations and behavior.

Raph began laughing at some story that Casey had just told and Leo smiled too, though he hadn't heard a word of it. He wanted to be a part of anything that Raph enjoyed; wanted to share as much as he could. Leo watched Raph's eyes spark with humor, his gaze drawn to Raph's thick, muscular neck as he tilted his head back to laugh.

Leo couldn't help but notice how Raph good-naturedly jabbed Donatello's side as he rakishly responded to Casey's story. Don's snort of amusement sounded conspiratorial, as though he and Raph has just shared some inside joke.

He realized then that when they all sat down to a meal together, Raph and Don somehow always wound up seated next to each other. Even on those occasions when Don was late to dinner and Raph volunteered to go and get him, which was every time, upon his return Raph would switch seats so that he was next to Don.

Leo hadn't ever read much into that because he figured that was Raph's way of keeping Don at the table once he'd wrangled him there. Now he wondered if Don's company was that much more preferable to anyone else's, or if that was Raph's way of putting distance between himself and his oldest brother.

It pained Leo to think that Raph wouldn't even want to sit next to him. Had their relationship really disintegrated to the point where Raph found it distasteful to be near Leo?

When dinner ended and everything was put away, Master Splinter retired to his room while everyone else re-grouped in Don's lab.

Picking up a sheet of paper from next to his computer, Don said, "This is the list I compiled of potential victims. I placed them in order from most to least likely. The ones at the top of the list are people who live within a three mile radius of those who have already been attacked. I expanded the potential area just to be on the safe side. I've got their names, current addresses, places of employment, and the most recent picture that I could find of them. Thank goodness for the internet; everyone's face can be found nowadays."

"Shell Donny, that takes all of the hard work out of this," Raph said, giving his brother an appreciative look. "Now all we gotta do is sit on 'em or follow them."

"There are six names on the list of those most likely to be hit," Leo said, accepting the paper from Don and examining it. "We'll have to split up but since there are only five of us, we need to decide which of these we can't watch."

"One of them is an older woman confined to a wheelchair," Don said as he handed copies of the list to Casey, Raph, and Mikey. "Fourth name down. I wouldn't think she'd be out after dark."

"Are there any restaurants or stores near where she lives?" Mikey asked. "She's in a wheelchair dudes, she's not gonna go far from her home without a ride."

Don checked an online map of the area and said, "The closest place is three blocks from her. Three _long_ blocks."

"Then cross her off and we'll take the other five," Mikey said.

"It's been two weeks since Brittany's attack," Leo said. "If this guy stays on the same timeline, he's due to strike again. Remember that he's both strong and stealthy, and he uses a technique that effectively incapacitates his victims. That means he might have other fighting skills, so he shouldn't be underestimated."

As he spoke, Leo glanced around at Casey and his brothers, trying not to single any of them out. Unfortunately, he got to Raph last and let his gaze linger for a little too long. He realized his mistake when he saw the color rise on Raph's face.

"I think I can manage not to screw this up Leo," Raph told him, his tone just short of a snarl.

"No one said you were going to," Leo replied, trying to keep his words mild sounding.

"Ya' were staring right at me," Raph asserted, beginning to glare at his brother. "It ain't that damn hard to figure out that speech was supposed to be for my benefit."

Leo felt the old aggravation start to rise in him. Why did even the simplest of his directions need to be disputed by Raph? Why did his brother have to argue over everything he said?

"That speech as you call it was for everyone's benefit," Leo said, his voice tight. "It's what I do before every mission as a way to recap what we know. Why you take it personally is beyond me."

Raph took a step towards him. "Oh really? I'll tell ya' why I take it persona . . . ."

"Guys," Don interrupted, coming between them and holding up their shell cells. "I modified the range on these and charged them up. The headsets are voice activated, so if you see anything, just speak into the microphone."

The angry expression on Raph's face faded as he accepted his shell cell from Don. His eyes turned from Leo to the genius, his tone once more calm as he said, "Thanks Donny."

"Thank you, bro'," Leo said as he took the proffered shell cell, relieved that Don had somehow stopped the fight before it could fully blossom.

"Ya' got one of those things for me?" Casey asked.

"Yes I do," Don replied, handing a shell cell to both Casey and Mikey. "The sooner we call out that we've seen this guy, the faster everyone else can converge on their location. We sure don't want to give him a chance to slip away."

"I'm thinking if we lose him, we also lose that element of surprise," Raph said.

There it was again, Don's uncanny way of phrasing things so that Raph didn't take his words personally and was even willing to contribute meaningfully to the conversation. Leo had spent many hours in meditation trying to understand how Don combined extreme intellect with a manner that was completely non-threatening. That answer along with many others involving Raphael still eluded him.

"Give me one of those names and let's get this show on the road," Casey said. "Ya' want my guess, we ain't gonna be out all that long. Most folks don't wander around outside much past midnight."

"Except this guy," Raph said, holding his list up in front of Casey and jabbing a thumb at the sixth name. "He's a bartender. Works in a little joint around the corner from his apartment."

"I'll take him," Casey volunteered. "I can sit inside the bar and nurse a beer until he clocks out for the night and then follow him home."

"That's a good idea," Leo said. "If our mugger is after him, he might have the same idea and be in that bar with you."

"I don't suppose anybody has an idea of what the guy looks like?" Casey asked, not too hopefully.

"Not a clue," Raph said with a grin. "Might not even be a guy; could be a woman."

"A really _strong_ woman," Don added.

The brothers quickly divvied up the remainder of the list of prime candidates and the five hunters headed out. Because of the traffic snafu that effectively shut down the use of their garaged vehicles, the group took to the tunnels in their Shell Sleds.

At one of the larger tunnel junctions the brothers split off, each heading towards the addresses on their lists. Because Casey was riding with Leo, the turtle dropped him off near his bar first and then proceeded on to his own destination.

Leo's name belonged to a woman in her mid-forties whose son had recently been killed in action overseas. Her apartment was on the fifth floor of a building surrounded by similar structures and Leo climbed to the roof of the one across the street from hers.

He quickly took up a position that gave him a view through her living room window, glad to see that her curtains were open. From his perch, Leo had a straight line of sight to a woman seated on a couch, her head back and a wash cloth over her eyes.

Though he couldn't see her entire face, what he could see of her chin, cheekbones, and hair matched the picture Don had given him. This was the woman he was set to guard and it didn't appear that she was going out tonight.

"Target one is in her apartment," Leo said into his microphone. "Looks like she's going to stay put."

 _"_ _Target six is cutting up limes and jawing with the locals,"_ Casey reported. _"_ _The tap beer is watered down."_

 _"_ _Remind me not to drink there,"_ Raph said. _"_ _Target two was leaving her place when I got there. I followed her to a market a couple blocks away."_

Leo's pulse quickened and he had to fight down the urge to leave his post and join Raph. There was no doubt in his mind that the hot head would resent the shell out of that, certain that Leo didn't trust him.

It wasn't a question of trust, it was an ingrained knowledge of Raph that had Leo worried. His brother wouldn't call for backup at the first sign of something amiss; Raph would want to be sure, too confident in his abilities to believe anything could go wrong.

At the risk of further aggravating said brother, Leo knew he had to say something to remind Raph that they all needed to be involved in the take down.

He chose to frame it in the form of a question. "Do you see anyone tailing her? Is anyone paying more than normal attention to her?"

 _"_ _Not much foot traffic out here,"_ Raph said. _"_ _Not too many people in the market either. Ain't seen anybody that looks out of place."_

Leo gave a silent sigh of relief, both at his answer and at the fact that it was civil. He decided not to push it and say anything else to Raph. Instead, he switched to his remaining brothers for situation reports.

"Don, Mikey, how's it going?" Leo asked.

 _"_ _Target five has three buddies over at his place,"_ Mikey said. _"_ _They're playing Fallout Four and eating pizza. If he's in mourning he's hiding it well."_

 _"_ _Bet you wish you were in there with them,"_ Don said. _"_ _Target three is looking at photo albums with a man who looks a lot like her. They've opened a bottle of wine and seem to be settling in."_

Frowning, Leo asked, "Was anyone else listed on her rental agreement?" He knew Don would have that answer, the genius was nothing if not thorough.

 _"_ _Nope,"_ Don said. _"_ _The obit did mention surviving children, so he's probably her brother. He was listed as living in Sioux Falls."_

"Keep a sharp eye out," Leo said. "He's a candidate we didn't foresee. Unless he's staying with her, he'll be leaving for a hotel."

Raph suddenly cut in. _"_ _Send Mikey over to help Donny. There's no way that kid is going anywhere and Mike don't need to watch him."_

 _"_ _Unless he decides to go out for smokes,"_ Mikey said. _"_ _All of those guys are lighting up. Someone should tell them smoking is bad for their health."_

"Stay where you are Mikey," Leo said. "We can't risk it."

 _"_ _Then ya' go Leo,"_ Raph said, sounding anxious. _"_ _Didn't ya' say your target's in for the night?"_

"She's still dressed in street clothes and hasn't moved to turn in," Leo said. "None of our targets are a sure thing at the moment."

 _"_ _I'm fine on my own Raph,"_ Don said. _"_ _The situation is the same for me; I'll only have to trail one potential victim. If that appears to be changing, I'll warn you guys."_

Raph's low growl was audible and Leo knew he wasn't happy about that plan. Watching Don's shell had always been a priority for Raph and was so ingrained in him that the current situation set him on edge.

 _"_ _Dammit, my target's moving again,"_ Raph muttered. _"_ _There are too many shops still open around here. If they ain't got any customers, why the fuck don't they shut down?"_

The question was rhetorical and no one bothered to try and answer it. Leo wanted to tell him to keep his eyes open but bit his tongue instead. He didn't need an angry, incautious Raph on guard duty against an unknown perpetrator.

Leo was in no way happy with the situation. A bad feeling was starting to form in his gut, one that told him they were making a grave miscalculation. Thinking they were after a mugger with a kink was one thing; if what they were chasing was a potential serial killer that would be a whole other ball game.

Three quarters of an hour passed without incident, other than Raph following his target to two additional shops and then to an outdoor café. Casey reported in that his bartender seemed familiar with everyone who came through the door, which meant the vigilante was the only stranger in the place.

Mikey announced that his kid had admitted another friend and that said friend had brought over a baggie of marijuana. The pizza was long gone and at the rate they were getting high, Mikey feared one of them would eventually go on a food run.

Leo's target had finally risen from the couch and gone into her kitchen. Through her window, Leo could see her take down a bottle of pills from a cabinet and proceed to swallow some. Rather than putting the bottle away when she was done, the woman stood there looking at it and Leo could almost read the thoughts running through her head.

He could not imagine the pain she must be going through from the loss of her child. The only thing near that he'd ever experienced was the time his father was missing and they'd practically searched the entire city for him.

Even then they'd had hope. This woman had none, her son was gone and it didn't appear as though she had any other family. What had begun as a protection detail might well have become a suicide watch.

 _"_ _Why the hell did I have to draw the one with wanderlust?"_ Raph asked rhetorically.

 _"_ _Hey pal, at least ya' don't have anyone giving ya' the stink eye 'cause ya' ain't drinking fast enough,"_ Casey said. _"_ _If I gotta do this too many nights in a row, this bartender's gonna start thinking I've got a thing for him."_

"Is your target moving again Raph?" Leo asked, ignoring Casey's complaints.

 _"_ _Yeah, I think she's got insomnia or something,"_ Raph said. _"_ _Now she's walking around looking in the windows of a bunch of closed places."_

 _"_ _Raph,"_ Don said, his voice sharp. _"_ _She might be undercover police. They might have figured out the same things we did and are trying to lure the mugger out."_

 _"_ _Then where the hell's her backup?"_ Raph asked. _"_ _I know they're good, but I looped around a three block area while she was sipping her latte and didn't see a damn thing. No way are they gonna be far from her."_

Leo's eyes were on the woman he was guarding, though he was following the conversation between his brothers closely. "Stay on her Raph," Leo admonished.

 _"_ _What do ya' think I'm doing?"_ Raph shot back gruffly. _"_ _I'm . . . ."_

 _"_ _The kid is headed out!"_ Mikey sang out excitedly.

Just as he said that, Leo's target shook some more pills into her palm and began to refill her glass of water.

"Shell," Leo hissed. "I think mine's trying to kill herself."

 _"_ _Damn Leo, get your ass over there!"_ Raph exclaimed.

 _"_ _Guys, the brother just left the building,"_ Don announced. _"_ _I've got to follow him."_

 _"_ _What should I do? Ya' want me to stay in the bar or what?"_ Casey asked.

Leo was already on his way down to the street, moving fast. "Stay put, we don't know anything . . . ."

 _"_ _He's got a tail!"_ Don whispered hoarsely, sounding out of breath. _"_ _A guy in a long, black coat is moving up fast on the brother. I'm going after him."_

"Donny, wait!" Leo called out, pausing in the alley next to his target's building. "Casey's coming to back you . . . ."

Raph's sudden shout cut him off. _"_ _Holy crap!"_

A second later gunshots rang out.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

"Raph! _Raph_!" Leo shouted frantically into his microphone. All he received in response was static. "Raphael answer me!"

 _"_ _Leo, that shot . . . ."_ Don began.

"Stay on the brother," Leo tersely ordered. "Casey, can you hear me?"

 _"_ _I'm here Leo,"_ Casey answered. _"_ _I left the bar as soon as I heard the shot."_

"Find Raph," Leo snapped. "Be quick, his headset's out. Mikey, where's the kid?"

 _"_ _One of his buddies joined him,"_ Mikey answered quickly. _"_ _I'm on my way to Raph."_

"No!" Leo said sharply. "Get to Don now. I'll join you as soon as I stop this woman from killing herself."

Even as Leo issued crisp directives to his team he was swiftly making his way across to the building opposite him. Once he was on the roof of his target's building, he used hand holds in the uneven brick wall to descend to her fifth floor apartment, hoping he'd be in time to stop her from swallowing too many pills.

"Don, sit rep," Leo hissed, swinging from one window ledge to the next, the kitchen window in his sights.

Heavy breathing sounded in his ear, then the uneven cadence of Don's voice, telling Leo that his brother was moving fast. _"_ _I yelled . . . warning,"_ Don answered, words cutting in and out as he spoke. _"_ _. . . running. He chased . . . into an alley . . . lost sight . . . almost . . . ."_

"Don, wait for backup. Don!" Leo exclaimed, too worried to keep his voice down. He was at the window now and looking through, saw the woman was lying on the floor, broken glass and an empty pill bottle next to her.

"Shell," Leo muttered, grasping the bottom of the window and pushing it up, happy that it wasn't locked. Springing through, he darted over to the woman and felt for a pulse.

Her eyes fluttered open as Leo touched her. "Anthony?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Shh, hang on. Help is on the way," Leo told her in as soothing a voice as he could muster. "Don't go to sleep, okay?"

"You're here," she murmured. "My Anthony."

Glancing around, Leo spotted a wall mounted phone nearby. "That's right Mom," he told the woman, realizing that she was hallucinating. "Promise you'll stay awake and visit with me."

"Of course," the woman slurred, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile.

Leo watched her eyes as he grabbed the receiver off the hook and dialed 911.

 _"_ _911\. What is your emergency?"_

"The woman who lives at this address just swallowed a bottle of pills," Leo said. "She's on the kitchen floor, barely conscious. Send help immediately."

He set the phone on the counter rather than disconnecting the call, ignoring the remainder of the operator's questions. Although sure they would respond rapidly, Leo couldn't leave until he saw that help had arrived.

Tearing off a wad of paper towels from the roll hanging nearby, Leo ran cold water over them and proceeded to apply a compress to the woman's neck and upper chest. Her eyes had started to close, but when the chill hit, she blinked up at him.

Leo knew that hearing his voice would help her focus, but he didn't necessarily have to talk to _her_. What he needed more than anything was to know what was happening with his brothers and Casey.

"Mikey, report in," Leo said into his mike, continuing to minister to the prone woman.

 _"_ _Just coming up on the address on Don's list,"_ Mikey said. _"_ _I don't see him. I don't see or hear anyone._ _Where did they go?"_

"Did you try Don?" Leo asked impatiently. "His signal kept cutting out on me but you should be close enough to reach him."

 _"'_ _Course I tried,"_ Mikey replied, sounding harried. _"_ _I'll start yelling until he yells back."_

"Do that," Leo said, resisting a sudden need to be moving, to be doing something other than waiting in an apartment far from the action. "Casey, have you reached Raph?"

 _"_ _There's people out here where he last reported from,"_ Casey said. _"_ _They're milling around yelling stuff. I don't see him yet and he ain't answering."_

"Keep looking," Leo said. "Call me as soon as you find him."

The wail of a siren reached Leo's ears as he spoke the last words. Tossing the soaked paper towels into the sink, Leo ran to the front door of the apartment. Taking the chain off, opening the deadbolt, and unlocking the door, he then went back to the kitchen.

Glancing through the window, Leo saw a police cruiser and an emergency services vehicle slide to a stop in front of the building.

Kneeling next to the woman, Leo gave her cheek a couple of sharp pats to get her eyes open again. "Help is here. Stay awake like you promised," he told her.

"Don't go Anthony," she wailed in a trembling voice.

"I'll always be with you, Mom. You mustn't ever try to hurt yourself though, okay? Say you'll never do that again. Say it for me," Leo crooned.

"I miss you," she whispered.

Leo felt his heart break a little for her, but knew he had to go. "I miss you too. I have to answer the door now. Do what the doctors tell you. I'll be watching."

Her eyes followed him as he stood and left the kitchen. Leo could hear voices in the corridor and dashed across the apartment to the woman's bedroom. The windows there gave onto the alley side of the building and Leo quickly pushed one open and climbed out.

Once he was on the roof of her building, Leo didn't take even a second to catch his breath. Moving with purpose, Leo turned in the direction that Raph had last reported from and began running.

"The woman is safe," Leo announced to anyone who was listening. "Casey, I'm on my way to you."

 _"_ _Nix that!"_ Casey said sharply. _"_ _Stay off the street Leo. That crazy ass woman that Raph was following is standing here with a squad of cops telling 'em she shot some dude."_

"Shot some . . . ." Leo trailed off as the worst possible thought crossed his mind. "Raph?"

 _"_ _They ain't got him, if that's what you're asking,"_ Casey answered. _"_ _I ain't got him either, but I did find the mike he was wearing, at least parts of it. It was lying next to some trash cans._ _There's a set of stairs going down to one of them basement apartments and I'll bet that's where he was hiding._ _The way the cans were knocked over gave me a good guess which direction he went._ _I'm about two steps ahead of the cops."_

"Where are you?" Leo asked, increasing his speed.

 _"_ _Five thousand block of Lamont, going east,"_ Casey responded.

"Towards the lair," Leo said. "I'll come in from the opposite direction."

 _"_ _Sing out if ya' see him,"_ Casey said.

 _"_ _I think I hear Donny."_ Mikey's voice sounded suddenly in Leo's ear. _"_ _I went the wrong way. I'm doubling back._ _It sounded like he was shouting."_

For a moment Leo was struck with indecision and he slowed down. He hadn't stopped to consider that his choice to go to Raph was selfish rather than in his team's best interest. "Do you need backup?" he asked.

 _"_ _Leo, I . . . think he . . . got the guy!"_ Mikey exclaimed. From the way his breath puffed between words, Leo could tell he was bounding onto roof tops as quickly as he could. _"_ _There's an echo . . . can't tell where . . . ."_

 _"_ _I've got a blood trail!"_ Casey cut in, sounding excited. _"_ _It's Raph's, I'm sure of it!"_

 _"_ _Leo, go to Raph!"_ Mikey yelped.

"Mike, are you . . . ." Leo began.

 _"_ _Find Raph!"_ Mikey barked.

Leo had started running again, his subconscious having already decided that Raph was his priority. "Casey, are you on the same course?"

 _"_ _He turned down the alley next to the ice cream shop,"_ Casey said. _"_ _I can hear the cops behind me, but the blood's hard to find if ya' don't know how Raph thinks. He's trying to staunch the blood flow somehow, maybe with his hand, and he ain't going for the roof tops."_

"There's a way down to the sewers behind the printer's building on Becker," Leo said. "Two blocks northeast. That's where he's going. Run."

 _"_ _Already am,"_ Casey told him.

Knowing that Raph was mobile and had the presence of mind to hide his trail should have eased Leo's anxiety some, but it didn't. He knew his brother was hard headed enough to travel even if he was critically wounded. Having it drilled into their heads since they were little more than hatchlings that they must avoid humans at all costs made it a subconscious act of self-preservation to hide no matter what condition they were in.

Leo adjusted his course so that he was going in a northeasterly direction. His and Casey's paths would converge at some point, hopefully wherever it was that Raph had gone. They had to get to him before the police got close enough to have a good look at the guy that woman had shot.

He'd lecture Raph later for having allowed himself to be seen by his target. Leo knew that his brother had gotten bored and probably a bit too curious as to why the woman was wandering aimlessly around. Don's warning that she might be trying to lure the mugger out may have sounded implausible to Raph, but he should have heeded it anyway.

As he ran, Leo kept expecting to hear from Mikey that he had connected with Don. He wasn't overly concerned about it, figuring that Mikey wouldn't report in if things were okay. Mikey would know that Leo was trying to focus on locating Raph and only an emergency would cause the younger turtle to pull Leo's mind off of that task.

Casey's voice abruptly sounded in Leo's ear. _"_ _Leo! I found Raph._ _He made it into the sewers but he's down and he's too damn close to the tunnel opening._ _I could drag him, but I don't want to make his injury worse."_

"Do what you can for his wound but don't move him. I'll be there in two minutes," Leo said. "Mikey, if you can hear me, Casey found Raph and I'm about to join them. It's going to take both of us to move him and I need Don back at the lair."

 _"_ _Right."_ Mikey's response was short and clipped. If Leo's thoughts weren't wholly with Raph he might have noticed and realized it was cause for concern.

Leo reached the printer's building and glanced down to make sure the police hadn't also found the spot. Seeing that the alley behind the building was clear, he jumped onto the top level of the fire escape and then swung from platform to platform until he was on the ground.

The manhole cover was still off of the tunnel entrance and after he was inside on the ladder, Leo reached up and secured the heavy metal disk into place.

"That you Leo?" Casey asked cautiously, his voice coming from around a bend in the tunnel.

"Yes," Leo answered, hopping down from the ladder and sprinting to where Casey was waiting.

As he rounded the turn, Leo saw that Casey was on his knees next to Raph. Casey was shirtless, his tank top pressed to a spot on Raph's upper torso. The golf bag Casey carried his weapons in lay on the ground beneath Raph's shoulders and the big turtle's eyes were closed.

When Leo drew closer he could see blood covering one of Raph's hands and rivulets of it coating his side.

Squatting beside Casey, Leo asked, "Where was he hit?"

"Looks like it went into his boxer's muscle," Casey said. "Just nicked his plastron. I didn't see an exit wound, so the bullet's probably embedded in there someplace. He was slumped against the wall when I found him, so I laid him out to get at the injury. It started bleeding like a bitch when his hand fell away and I'm just trying to get it to stop."

"Raph, can you hear me bro'?" Leo asked. When he received no reaction he tried again. "Raph!"

Raph's eyelids twitched and then opened enough for the gold of his iris' to shine through. "What?" he muttered belligerently.

"Casey and I are going to have to carry you home," Leo told him. "Don't try to move on your own or you'll start bleeding again."

"Where's Donny?" Raph asked, opening his eyes a bit wider.

"He and Mikey are headed back to the lair," Leo said, hoping he was telling the truth. "He'll be waiting in the infirmary for you."

"Fuckin' turtle luck," Raph murmured, his eyes sliding shut.

Leo began removing his belt, telling Casey, "We'll use my belt to tie your shirt into place and then we need to get him away from here. We can do a two man carry; you get his legs and I'll support his upper body. When we get to where he left his Shell Sled I'll take it back to mine and come back with that one since it's big enough to hold the three of us."

"Gotcha," Casey said, lifting Raph enough so that Leo could slide his belt underneath his brother and secure it tightly around the covered wound.

Once that was done, Leo traded places with Casey, pushing Raph into a seated position so that the vigilante could retrieve his golf bag. After he had it slung over his back, Casey stepped into a spot between Raph's calves, facing away from him, and leaned down to grasp the turtle beneath his knees.

With his arms under Raph's and his hands intertwined around his brother's chest, Leo lifted Raph off the ground. As he came up so did Casey, the pair holding a semi-conscious Raph suspended between them.

Leo wasn't exactly sure where Raph had parked his Shell Sled but he could take an educated guess. Issuing directions to Casey, Leo guided him towards that spot, the pair jogging slowly so as not to disturb Raph any more than necessary.

It was a relief to see Raph's Shell Sled come into view and they set Raph carefully on the ground once they reached it. Leaving Casey to watch over Raph, Leo drove the sled swiftly through the tunnels to where he'd hidden the largest of the sleds.

Trading rides, Leo rushed back to Casey and Raph. The twist of a knob expanded Leo's sled so that Raph could lay prone on it, with Casey supporting him in order to keep him from sliding around.

Leo drove faster than was prudent, his concern for his brother overriding his normal caution. He heard Raph cough a couple of times during the trip, but other than that Raph did not complain about the rough ride. Either he was too out of it to notice, or he'd decided to be stoic so that no one would fuss over him. Considering Raph's personality, it was probably the latter.

When they reached the lair, Leo and Casey lifted Raph from the sled and resumed their two man carry to get him inside. Entering their home, Leo was dismayed to discover that all was quiet, a good indication that his other two siblings hadn't reached there yet.

"Master Splinter!" Leo called out as they took Raph into the infirmary.

The note of desperation in his tone was clear enough to bring their sensei out of his room at a fast clip. "What has happened?" Master Splinter asked worriedly as he rushed towards them.

Before Leo could answer, the sounds of his brother's voices reached him. As he and Casey laid Raph down on a cot, Don came running into the room.

Leo had only a second to notice that Don's expression was pinched and then his brother was elbowing him aside. "Move," Don ordered sharply, his hands reaching for the belt tied around Raph's wound.

"The crazy bitch he was following shot him," Casey said somewhat unnecessarily. "From what I can tell, the bullet's still in there."

Rather than stand around doing nothing while Don examined the injured turtle, Leo pushed a rolling cart over to the main medical supply cabinet. Placing a metal tray atop the cart, he began filling it with the items he thought Don might need.

Master Splinter entered the room and displaced Casey, forcing the human to back away from the cot. "I will assist you Donatello," he told his son in a steady voice.

When Leo rolled the cart up next to Don, his brother glanced up at him. Leo was taken aback by the animosity he saw in the genius' eyes.

"Get out," Don said between gritted teeth.

As much as he wanted to address the clear anger that Don was displaying, Leo decided that this was not the time. With a curt nod, he backed out of the room, knowing that if more help was needed, his father would call for him.

Standing just outside of the infirmary, Leo watched as Don began to work on Raph. It was very much out of character for Donatello to be quite so antagonistic, especially when there was an injury requiring his care. That was when he usually became dispassionate and focused.

"Leo."

Turning at the sound of his name pronounced in such a low tone, Leo saw Mikey waiting a little ways off. He appeared grim rather than simply worried and it was clear that he wanted to talk to his brother out of earshot of those in the infirmary.

"Raph was shot in the chest," Leo said as he walked over to Mikey.

"The chest?" Mikey asked, his eyes widening.

"Here in the muscle," Leo said, pointing to his own serratus anterior muscle. "It's still in there and he lost some blood."

"He's gonna be too sore to box for a while," Mikey said without his usual situational humor.

"What happened with Donny?" Leo asked, cutting right to the chase.

"It's not good Leo," Mikey responded. "In fact it blows. When I caught up to him, Don had cornered that weirdo mugger, but the guy already had a hold of his victim. Don was trying to talk him into letting the man go, but the mugger had pulled the poor man back up against him. He had an arm around the man's chest and a hand on the man's throat, choking him. He wouldn't even answer Don; just kept backing away from him."

"Is Don upset because the mugger got away?" Leo was studying Mikey's face, trying to read his expression.

"He's upset because the mugger killed the man," Mikey said bluntly.

"Killed . . . ?" Leo gaped at Mikey as he tried to wrap his head around the news. "He's never killed anyone before."

"We thought he'd escalate," Mikey said. "Don knew that statistically they always escalate, but he's blaming himself. He's also second guessing himself. Now he thinks he should have charged the guy instead of trying to rationalize with him."

"How?" Leo asked.

"How'd he kill the man?" Mikey huffed, his own frustration coming through in the sound. "He squeezed hard enough the crush the man's throat. Never took his eyes off of Don the whole time he was doing it. When the man's face started changing color, Don decided to move in on them, but it was too late. I got there just when that part started to go down and waited for Donny to call the play. He said attack as soon as he realized the mugger was squeezing too hard but he didn't know how strong that guy was."

"Could you see his face? Would you recognize him?" Leo asked.

"No," Mikey said. "He was wearing a long cloak and had a hood pulled up over his head. In that getup he looked like the grim reaper. As soon as he killed that man he just dropped him like a sack of potatoes."

"And you two rushed him then?" Leo's brow furrowed, wondering how the mugger had escaped.

"Shell yeah we did," Mikey said. "Remember when I said the guy was strong? Leo, he was strong enough to throw me and Don half the length of the alley. At the same time."

Speechless for a moment, Leo stared at his younger brother, thinking that Mikey was exaggerating. From the look on Mikey's face though, it was clear that he was serious.

"That's not possible," Leo finally said. "He'd have to be Shredder strong to do that."

"He wasn't an Utrom in an exoskeleton," Mikey asserted. "After all this time I can recognize them. The guy was flesh and blood and strong enough to toss us onto our butts before making a getaway. Did I mention that he was fast too?"

"So you couldn't catch him," Leo concluded.

"Don stopped to see if the victim was okay and I waited for him. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds to tell that he was dead but by the time we went after the mugger, he was out of our sight. You called right about then saying we should come home. It took me a minute to get through to Donny, he was pretty upset."

"Yes, I can imagine," Leo said softly, glancing back towards the infirmary.

Silence descended on them, broken when Mikey sighed and asked, "What's our next step? We can't let the guy get away with killing someone, he'll do it again."

"Our plan tonight worked," Leo replied. "We know how he chooses his victims and we can find him. The problem is determining which of the potential targets he's going after. A one on one approach is obviously a bad choice, and he's too fast for us to be able to wait for backup. We have to make an educated guess and have our entire team prepared to attack as soon as we spot him."

"The entire team minus Raph," Mikey corrected. When he saw the thunderous look on Leo's face, he quickly added, "He'll be all right, we both know that. I'm only saying it's gonna be a while before he can start fighting again. A bullet in that muscle is something that has to have time to heal and until then, he won't be able to swing a punch with that arm."

"Why did that woman have a gun?" Leo asked rhetorically. "Why was she wandering the streets carrying a weapon? Was she hoping to be attacked? Raph was only following her, he didn't try to get close. Why would she shoot him?"

"All good questions," Mikey said, even though he knew Leo wasn't expecting any kind of an answer. "She's a hysterical human female. She saw something hulking and green and shot at it because she's gun crazy. She could just as easily have shot one of those teenagers who dress up as giant hot dogs and stand on street corners."

"I hope the police take that gun away from her before she does," Leo said.

Even though Mikey had raised as many questions as he'd answered, Leo was somewhat relieved by their discussion. Mikey had a unique grasp of battlefield tactics and a natural understanding of why people did what they did that Leo had often found very useful. His observations of their opponent would help Leo come up with a new strategy for catching the killer.

Movement from the direction of the infirmary pulled Leo's attention back that way and he saw that Casey was coming towards them.

"I'm about as useful as a hangnail in there," Casey said. "Don won't let me do anything and I'm getting fidgety. Raph's sled's still out there, how about I go and get it?"

Leo nodded, knowing that Casey was barely holding back from a full blown temper tantrum over Raph's condition. Better he have a chore than go on a rampage inside the lair that would leave them with broken furniture and busted electronics.

"Mikey will give you a ride to where I left it," Leo said, exchanging a look of understanding with his brother.

The pair left together after Leo told Mikey where Raph's Shell Sled was parked. Once silence descended on the lair, it was all Leo could do not to rush into the infirmary and demand an update on Raph's condition. Feeling so disoriented was foreign to Leo, he could normally remain composed and meditative in the worst of times. But then he'd never been struggling with an abnormal attraction to one of his brothers before either.

With no idea of what to do with himself, Leo began pacing. He tried to focus on what he now knew about the mugger and using that knowledge to figure out a way to trap the man, but a mental image of an injured Raph kept rising in his mind's eye and disrupting his concentration.

The sound of Don clearing his throat pulled Leo to a stop and he spun around to see his brother standing nearby.

"He's resting," Don said in a tight tone of voice. "I removed the bullet and sealed the wound. He's receiving a blood transfusion right now because he lost so much. Master Splinter is monitoring him while I speak to you."

"Thank you Donny," Leo said warmly. "Casey is really the one who . . . ."

"He shouldn't have been shot," Don said, interrupting him. "As soon as you heard him say that woman was just walking around you shouldn't have left him out there alone."

"We've all been in those types of situations before," Leo said. "Raph himself wasn't concerned."

"I don't care, you should have gone to him," Don insisted. "You should have gone or sent one of us as soon as he said she was behaving oddly."

Leo stared at him, surprised at the vehemence in Don's voice. "Who could I have sent? Who would you have had me put in harm's way?"

"Anyone but Raph!" Don shouted. "He's not disposable!"

Don's face was suffused with color, his rage obvious in both his delivery and his attitude. Leo couldn't recall ever seeing Don so upset and certainly not to the point where he would lash out with such fervor.

"I've never considered any of you to be disposable," Leo said, remaining calm. "What we do is hazardous at times and Raph knows that better than . . . ."

"Shut up!" Don exclaimed. "Just shut up! You and your two cent excuses. A man died tonight and Raph is lying in there with a bullet wound and a bag of spare blood flowing into his veins. I'm not magic, I don't know if he'll make it, I never know if he'll make it when he's that injured. I'm sick to death of always having to carry that fear."

"It was not your fault that man died," Leo said, holding Don's eyes with his own. "That's on the mugger and you can't lose sight of that fact."

"Oh make no mistake, it was my fault," Don said. "I hesitated, thinking that I could get him to talk to me, that I could reason with him and he'd release that man. You don't reason with a crazy person and I screwed up in thinking that I could. Mark my words, I'm going to find him and when I do, he'll pay for what he's done."

" _We'll_ find him," Leo stressed. "Mikey told me about him, about his strength and speed. We aren't going to take any more chances, we'll hunt him together."

"Because we've taken enough chances, right Leo?" Don asked sarcastically. "Just keep pushing until one of us is down, usually Raphael, then change tactics."

"I would never put Raph in harm's way on purpose," Leo hissed, starting to let Don's temper get to him. "I resent your intimation that I would do something like that to him. Do you think that he's not important to me just because we have disagreements? You're wrong Donny, completely wrong."

When Leo finished his sentence he noticed that Don was trembling and at first thought it was from anger. Then he noticed that his brother's attitude seemed to have shifted and that Don was struggling with another emotion altogether.

"I know you're attracted to Raph," Don said, his voice suddenly low.

Leo's expression turned dead pan as he stared at Don. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Raphael is my brother."

"You don't understand," Don said, as though Leo hadn't spoken. "If something happened to Raph, I don't know what I'd do. I can't survive without him."

For a moment it felt as if all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the air and Leo couldn't breathe. "Don, what are you telling me?" Leo asked, his words precise.

"Just what I said," Don replied. "If this family loses Raph it's going to lose me too."

Before Leo could question him further, Don spun around and stormed off. His attitude made it clear that Leo shouldn't try to follow him, and so Leo didn't. Instead he remained motionless as Don disappeared back into the infirmary.

For the next fifteen minutes until Mikey and Casey returned to the lair, Leo remained in that exact spot, barely blinking as he struggled with the ramifications of Don's disclosure. He did not want to misconstrue what Don had said and so he analyzed it, every single word.

Such deep thought got him exactly nowhere. Leo's heart refused to accept the conclusion that his mind kept trying to reach. The internal battle concluded with a stalemate when Leo decided he wasn't going to jump to conclusions, he'd make Raph supply him with an answer.

When and if the hot head woke up.

TBC….


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Leo," Mikey whispered, rousing his brother from his meditative state.

The lair was quiet. Though it was daytime in the outside world, the lights inside the turtle's home were dimmed. Casey had left for his apartment a couple of hours earlier, once assured that there was nothing further he could do. Raphael had still been unconscious, with Donatello and Master Splinter standing watch over him.

Opening his eyes, Leo looked up at his younger brother, noting how tired he seemed. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, Leo asked, "Raph?"

Squatting just outside of the ring of candles surrounding Leo, Mikey replied, "The same. No change. I thought you were gonna get some sleep dude."

"I tried," Leo admitted, leaning over to blow out a series of candles. "My thoughts were too scattered and I needed to calm them. Weren't you supposed to be getting some sleep too?"

Mikey shrugged, blowing out the candles nearest him and sitting down. "I think I did. Maybe for an hour. Something woke me up. Probably a dream. I have a vague memory of some dude in a black trench coat chasing me."

Leo winced. "I had dreams like that just after we met Bishop. Only they weren't wearing trench coats, just black suits."

"Were they carrying chain saws?" Mikey asked, his blue eyes twinkling with humor. "Did they all look like Bishop?"

This time Leo chuckled lightly. "Not chain saws, neck ties. They each seemed to have a hundred of them."

"And they were all really strong and really fast," Mikey said, his expression dimming. "Like the mugger who got away from me and Donny."

"Which was not by any fault of either of yours," Leo stressed. He sighed. "If that was one of Bishop's clones gone off the reservation, we'd have run into Bishop and his men hunting the thing. There is no way that sociopath would risk having any adverse publicity for his organization."

"Not unless his victims were aliens disguised as humans," Mikey said. "Don't think that's the case, though Brittany is sure acting like some kind of an alien now."

"The obit column in the paper is a strange place to be looking for aliens," Leo said, shaking his head. He lifted his arms and stretched, a move which made him yawn prodigiously.

His yawn pulled one from Mikey, who then gave his brother a sour look. "We both need some sleep."

A couple of biting retorts came to Leo's mind, but Mikey hadn't done anything to deserve them. "Yes we do. So do Don and Master Splinter. I doubt if either of them is lying down."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't," Mikey said, though he didn't move.

They shared a companionable silence. There were still candles burning in Leo's room, but they were farther away from the pair, on Leo's desk, nightstand, and a shelf. Their glow made Leo and Mikey's shadows dance on the rug and Leo contemplated them, wondering how they could appear so energetic when their owners were all in.

"I left my door open in case Don called for me," Leo said, not sure why he felt moved to explain that.

"Don's angry," Mikey said unexpectedly. "Got any idea why?"

Frowning, Leo asked, "How do you know he's angry?"

"I know his moods, bro'. He doesn't get mad often and usually it's like a low level frustration, maybe a two on the Richter scale. That time when he was trying to figure out how to cure Sydney he hit a four when he yelled at us. This is a 'be on the alert' defcon level ten kind of mad dude. I saw it as soon as I went in the infirmary to check on Raph," Mikey said.

"Did he say anything to you?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, he said 'Raph's still out'," Mikey answered. "That was it. He's sitting at his desk in there reading a bunch of stuff off the internet. Don't know what; when I tried to get a look at it, he lowered the top and glared at me."

Leo's frown deepened. "Is Master Splinter still in there with him?"

Mikey shook his head. "Nope, you were wrong about that. He went to bed. Probably tried to talk Don into letting him stand watch so the resident genius could sleep and gave up when Don wouldn't budge. Your turn to answer a question."

Though he wasn't sure why, Leo had the feeling that Mikey already knew the answers but wanted confirmation. Leo sometimes thought that Mikey's disarming attitude was one he'd cultivated in order to hide a shrewd intellect.

"He thinks I didn't react correctly to the danger Raph was in," Leo said. "He said he warned us that something was off with the woman Raph was following and that we all ignored him. Well, actually he thinks I ignored him."

"Raph blew it off too," Mikey said. "He was supposed to lay back and watch for cops, which he didn't do, and she saw him. How's that your fault?"

"Don is just upset," Leo explained. "A man died right in front of him and his killer got away. Don's taking that personally."

"The guy got away from me too, Leo." Mikey shifted, getting more comfortable. "I'm not happy about that and I'm gonna be less happy if he attacks someone else. Not gonna get mad at the world or myself about it though, 'cause stuff happens. We expected to go up against some guy with a weird kink, not a super strong nut case."

"I told Donny that it wasn't on him that any of that happened," Leo said. "He said it was and that he's going to find the guy and make him pay."

"What's he doing, channeling Raph?" Mikey asked. "Just because he's worried over Raph's condition is no reason to turn vigilante and spout stuff about a vendetta."

"He has a right to those feelings Mikey," Leo said. "We've all been there from time to time over the years."

"Sure he has a right to feel like that, but not to be mad at you about it," Mikey said, sounding mildly indignant. "We can't blame each other for stuff that's out of our control. None of this was because you did anything wrong and don't start letting what Don said get to you. If you want to stand there and let him yell at you so that he can vent, fine. So long as it goes in one ear and out the other. It's bad enough you let Raph get under your skin and make you question yourself."

The corners of Leo's mouth lifted slightly. "I've come to regard that as part of Raph's job on this team," he said. Staring at an unlit candle, he contemplated how to voice something he'd thought long and hard about. "I find myself resenting a lot of the things he says, not because he's wrong, but because he's questioning my judgment," Leo finally explained. "I didn't realize that at first, I always thought he fought me because he felt he'd have been a better choice as leader.

"What he says, the arguments he starts, they aren't always wrong. If he didn't say them, I'd have no cause to examine my choices and that's something every leader needs to do. I was so committed to the job when Master Splinter first gave it to me that I thought my word would be law, like his has always been. Having Raph push my face in about things angered me. Sometimes it still does, not as often as before, but he's got an undeniable gift for making me look at everything forwards, backwards and upside down."

"He doesn't like being ordered around and fights with you," Mikey said. "He doesn't like being pranked and fights with me. Never fights with Donny though."

Leo glanced up, curious as to why Mikey had made that statement. His brother was watching him, his face completely expressionless. That was such a rare thing for Mikey that it left Leo feeling a bit unnerved.

"None of us ever fights with Donny," Leo said, hoping to draw more out of Mikey.

"Until now," Mikey said. "Though I guess technically you guys aren't fighting. He's just really mad at you because of Raph."

"Because Raph got hurt," Leo said, continuing to watch his brother closely.

"Sure, that too," Mikey said before standing up. Now he looked every bit like the cat who'd swallowed the canary. "I'm going back to bed. I'd tell you to do that too, but you probably won't. Call me if Raph's condition changes or Don decides to try and take your head off. I'm sure he'll snap out of it when Raph gets better."

Mikey moved so quickly that he was nearly out the door before Leo had a chance to say anything else. "Mikey wait."

Pausing at the doorway, Mikey looked back at his big brother. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming in to talk to me," Leo said. "It helps."

"Glad to know one of us can do that without having to get into a fight with you first," Mikey said, grinning at his brother. "Aren't you?"

He didn't wait for an answer, instead exiting quickly. A moment later Leo heard the door to Mikey's bedroom open and close.

With a sigh, Leo glanced around at the unlit candles and decided against relighting them. His brief period of meditation had eased some of the stress from his muscles, but it would take something more than spiritual contemplation to refresh him completely. He needed sleep.

Standing, he allowed himself a good stretch before gathering the candles and putting them away. Before blowing out the remaining candles, Leo switched on the small lamp next to his bed.

Walking out of the door, Leo stood on the platform overlooking the lair. He could see most everything from that spot, including the entrance to the infirmary, which he noted was firmly shut.

If things were normal between him and Don, Leo could go down there to check on Raph. He'd insist that Don get some sleep and if the genius swore he couldn't leave, Leo would urge him to lie down on one of the other cots. That way he could be nearby if Raph needed him and he could rest knowing that Leo would remain in the room to stand watch.

Things were far from normal though. Leo wouldn't chance aggravating Don at this juncture, hoping that a little more time would help his brother cool off. Mikey had just been down there and his report that Don was still angry told Leo he should stay away.

Leo was glad that Mikey had visited him and given him that report. At the moment, Mikey was the only neutral brother and it was refreshing to talk with someone who had a clear head. Especially someone whose insights were so valuable.

Mikey's last comment stuck in Leo's head as he turned to go back into his room, closing the door behind him. It made him wonder if Mikey felt slighted that Leo had told him how important Raph's contributions were, even though they sometimes led to harsh fights. Leo hadn't meant for it to sound as though Mikey's assistance wasn't worthwhile, he was just trying to explain why Raph's way of doing things often ended with them having a shouting match.

If Leo wanted to censure Mikey for anything, it was how he turned cryptic on occasion. That usually happened when Mikey had hold of a piece of knowledge that he was savoring for some unknown reason. It was never anything that would place a family member in danger, Leo had to grant him that. What it usually turned out to be was something that would afford Mikey a great deal of entertainment, or that he could use as a bargaining tool.

Leo sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes, deciding that trying to figure out what Mikey was holding back was a useless endeavor, especially when he felt so exhausted. He needed to sleep or at least attempt to do so.

Other than his mask, Leo had already removed the remainder of his gear. Now he untied the blue strip of fabric and set it aside before switching the lamp off and lying down.

Though he tried to fill his mind with some benignly serene image, Raphael kept appearing instead. Raph eating, Raph sparring, Raph exercising, Raph hitting his punching bag, Raph sprawled on the couch, Raph barreling into a fight, and finally Raph down with an injury. Raph unconscious on a cot in the infirmary with a blood soaked shirt pressed against his side.

Leo's memory then turned to Donatello tending to their injured brother. Don's fear of losing Raph was so palpable in that moment that Leo hadn't sensed his underlying anger. The mistake Leo had made in his interaction with Don afterwards was in thinking those two emotions were mutually exclusive. Leo had experienced both so many times when Raph did something rash that Leo should have recognized it in Don. If he had, he might have been better prepared to offer Donny solace rather than platitudes.

The final thoughts that went through Leo's mind before he dozed off were of Mikey's words when he'd said that Raph never fought with Donny. Was that simply an observation or a clue?

That question didn't get answered because by then Leo was fast asleep.

Normally Leo would allocate himself a certain amount of time to sleep and then his own internal alarm would wake him. His intent was to rest for four hours and then go downstairs where he would attempt to talk Donatello into trading places with him.

He was awakened earlier than that by the sound of someone tapping lightly on his door. Out of bed in a flash, Leo crossed the room quickly and pulled his door open.

Leo discovered his father standing there, looking placid though tired. "I am sorry to wake you my son," Master Splinter said, glancing at Mikey's closed door and keeping his voice low. "I am certain you have not had enough sleep, but Donatello requires some medical supplies and antibiotics for Raphael. He has already communicated with Miss O'Neil and she has gone out to acquire those items. They would reach us faster if you were to retrieve them from her at her apartment."

"Of course Father," Leo said. "Does she know to expect me?"

"I directed Donatello to relay that information," Master Splinter said. He paused a moment, allowing Leo to see the concern etched across his face. "Your brother will not rest though I have urged him to do so. I am . . . hesitant to use my expertise in pressure points to place Donatello into a restful state, but he may force my hand. It would be a last resort."

"Don't worry sensei. This isn't the first time Don has gone without sleep and it won't be the last. Once he's assured that Raph is past the danger point, he'll be more open to letting one of us stand watch. In fact, I'll insist on it later today and won't take no for an answer," Leo said.

Master Splinter looked relieved. "Thank you my son. Your brother seems to be researching something in a most zealous manner. It is quite disconcerting."

When his father headed back downstairs, Leo returned to his room to pull on his gear. He checked his weapons before sliding them into their scabbards, making a mental note to clean them the first chance he got.

Leo was as quiet as Master Splinter had been when he left his room and descended to the main floor of the lair. There was no point in waking Mikey, at least someone in their home should be allowed to sleep. His father was in front of the television, the volume down low, and he nodded to Leo as his oldest son used the exit into the sewer tunnels.

Jogging the entire way, it did not take Leo long to reach the tunnel that ran under the alley next to April's shop. Even though it was late morning, he knew that the likelihood of anyone being in the locale was small. That alley was a dead end and there was no reason for there to be automobile or foot traffic.

Leo was no less cautious though and slowly lifted the manhole cover on the sewer opening at the back of the alley. When it was high enough for him to peek through, he carefully scanned the area before sliding it aside and hopping out. Using his key to unlock the door leading to the back stairs, Leo swiftly entered, pulling the door shut behind him.

At the top of the staircase Leo tapped on April's apartment door and immediately heard her footsteps. A second later that door opened and April waved him inside.

"How is Raph?" April asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Still unconscious, but stable," Leo answered. "How much did Don tell you?"

"Very little. He didn't call, he texted me. His message said that Raph had been shot and that he needed certain things. Following that was a list of the items he wanted me to get. He was so terse that I got really worried and tried to call for details but he wouldn't pick up. When I texted with questions he said you'd explain," April said.

"Don's tired and worried, he didn't mean to be rude," Leo said, hoping that April would understand.

Which of course she did. "I thought as much," she said. "I figured that he'd probably been up for hours and had worked himself to the point of exhaustion."

"We haven't been able to talk him into sleeping," Leo told her. "I'm hoping that once he's got the medications he needs and feels secure about Raph's condition, he'll lie down."

April waved at several burlap bags sitting on her coffee table. "I got everything he asked for and a few other things I thought you guys might be running low on. It didn't even dawn on me that you might be on foot; I can lock up the shop and drive you back to the lair."

"You needn't do that, I can carry all of it easily," Leo assured her. "What do we owe you?"

"Nothing," April said. "Don still has a credit with me. I sold a lot of the items he left here on consignment, so don't worry about funds. Leo, the morning news had a report about a man being killed last night. Was that something you guys were involved in? Does it have anything to do with what happened to Brittany?"

Leo didn't want to delve into a lot of details; he wanted to get the medicine back to Don quickly and he didn't want to worry April. He could tell by her expression that he wasn't going to be able to leave without telling her something because she was just stubborn enough to follow him home.

"It was the same man," Leo acknowledged. "Don's research showed that the other people he's attacked had all recently suffered the loss of a loved one. Using that criteria, Don worked up a list of probable targets and we each chose one of those people to follow. The mugger is working off a specific timeline and last night was his prime time."

April appeared thoughtful as Leo spoke. "So you guys had to split up right? That's why Casey was out with you, he was assigned to one of those potential targets?"

"Yes. We didn't have the manpower to cover all of them, so we decided on the five most likely. Casey's was a bartender. We were in constant communication and since the mugger picks his victims from within a certain radius, we weren't far from each other," Leo said.

"That explains Raph's shooting," April said. When she saw the puzzled look on Leo's face, she explained. "You haven't seen the news have you? After the report about the man being killed, they had one about a woman taking potshots at someone she thought was following her. That was Raph, wasn't it?"

"That was Raph," Leo said. "She was wandering around the streets by herself and since she was Raph's target, he had to follow. Her behavior made him curious and he got a little careless."

"She was doing that on purpose," April said. "The morning paper had more details. She told the police that she'd read about people being mugged and decided to make herself a target to draw the mugger out. Apparently that's her way of mourning a loss. Her sister was killed by a mugger, some young punk with a shaky trigger finger."

"She was looking for vengeance," Leo said slowly. "I can understand that."

"The police aren't too happy about it," April said. "Of course they took her gun because she had no license for it, in fact, she'd just gone to a neighboring state to buy the gun. They're debating whether to charge her. They found blood after she insisted she shot someone, but they haven't been able to locate the person she hit."

"They'll have to release her with a slap on the wrist," Leo said, "and no gun."

"I'm sure she'll be paying a hefty fine as well. This is totally my fault. If I hadn't told you about Brittany, if I hadn't asked if you could do something, Raph wouldn't have been shot," April said in a distressed tone.

"It is not your fault," Leo assured her. "We go out on patrols every week and this isn't the first time we've been shot at. We decided a long time ago that we can't be effective if we worry about getting hurt and so we don't. I don't want you to worry about that either, and I certainly don't want you playing the blame game. It's pointless."

"And the man who was killed? You guys were following him too?" April asked.

Leo had hoped the talk of Raph's shooting would make April forget about the murdered man. "He was the brother of Don's target subject. We had no idea that he was in town and with his sister. The mugger chose him when he left his sister's place."

April read between the lines of what Leo was not telling her. "Don was astute enough to follow the brother, wasn't he? Did he see that man get killed?"

"As soon as Don reported that someone was following the brother, I told Mikey to join him," Leo answered. "That's when we heard shots from Raph's end and Casey and I went to find him. The mugger had his victim before Don could catch them and then he got away from Don and Mikey."

Leo purposely chose to edit the story so that April would not know that Don had watched the mugger kill his victim.

"He got away from both of them?" April asked incredulously.

"There's something odd about this man," Leo told her. "He's extremely fast and almost inhumanly strong. He tossed my brothers aside like they were rag dolls. Did the news say if anyone else was attacked last night?"

April shook her head. "Not in that same fashion, no. If he's as strong as you say, then I'm worried for Casey. He'll try to take the guy head on. I know I can't ask him not to go out, that would be useless. He'd refuse to be left behind, especially now that Raph's been hurt."

"We're going to have to regroup before we try to find the killer again anyway," Leo said. "If he follows his usual pattern, we'll have some time to learn more about him. One thing we won't be doing is separating into single units. I'll make sure Casey's assignments are like the one at the bar where he's surrounded by people. He's actually more useful in that type of position; I'll tell him he's in charge of recon."

"I'm relieved to hear that. I can help in that regard too. Since it all happens at night I'll be free," April said.

"We may call on you," Leo said noncommittally. "How is Brittany? Has she gotten any better?"

April sighed heavily. "No. I'm limiting her interactions with customers. She's watching the shop now while I'm out, but I don't dare leave her for long. Her behavior is very off putting; it's like she has no emotion, no empathy. You need that in order to sell to people. Fortunately, personality is not a factor in on-line sales and that's what I've been having her work on. She's adding stock to my website catalogue and filling the orders that come in."

There was something in what April said that Leo felt was a clue, but it escaped him for the moment. He'd review their conversation later to try and get a handle on it. For now he needed to get home, he'd been gone long enough.

Sliding the handles of the shopping bags onto his arms, Leo said, "I should get back, Raph needs some of these things. Let us know if anything changes with Brittany. If you talk to Casey before we do, tell him Raph's okay and to get with us before he decides to do anything about the mugger."

"I will," April said, walking to the door with Leo.

He opened the door and looked back at her. "Thanks for everything April. I don't know what we'd do without you."

She smiled at that. "You did fine before you met me, you guys are strong." A curious expression crossed her features then and she placed a hand on Leo's shoulder to stop him from leaving. "Something else is wrong. What is it?"

Leo thought he'd been hiding his feelings about the situation with Don and his own new fascination with Raph. He was at a low point though and should have known she'd read him.

"It's just the usual problems, April. Nothing to be concerned about," Leo said.

April gave his shoulder a pat before releasing him. "You can always talk to me about anything. You know that don't you?"

"I do. Try not to worry," Leo replied before making his exit. He wished he could follow his own advice.

TBC…..


	6. Chapter 6

Leo's trip back to the lair was without incident. Upon entering his home, Leo glanced around but no one was about and all was quiet.

Moving silently was second nature to the leader in blue and he was no less so in his approach to the infirmary. The door was slightly ajar and made no sound when he pushed against it in order to enter the room.

His eyes immediately turned in Raph's direction and though not surprised to see Don there as well, he was puzzled to see the genius leaning far over the prone turtle. Saying nothing, he noted Don's position, seeing how his face was so close to Raph's. The angle kept Leo from seeing exactly what Don was doing and he crept forward in the hopes of getting a better look.

An item inside one of the bags chose that moment to shift and the crinkling sound seemed loud in the silent infirmary. Don jerked upright and spun around, his eyes wide as they settled on Leo.

Rushing into speech, Don said, "I thought I heard Raph say something. His eyes weren't open when I got here, so I was checking his pupils. Are those the supplies I asked April for?"

"Yes they are," Leo said, extending his arms. His heart was beating faster than it should have been and he told himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was to alarm Don since his brother appeared less angry than he'd been. Not warm, but at least not ready to tear Leo a new one.

Don came over and accepted the bags from him, his face giving nothing away. At his desk he began pulling supplies from the bags and setting them out, sorting some of the items back into a couple of the bags.

"You can take these to the kitchen," Don said, indicating that remaining bags.

There was a dismissive sound to that which Leo chose to ignore. He wanted an update on Raph's condition and he wanted to talk things out with Don. Whatever was going on, they couldn't be at odds with one another.

Leo watched as Don filled a syringe from one of the bottles he'd just received. When he was done, he went back to Raph's cot and administered the injection.

"How is he?" Leo asked quietly.

Don didn't look at him, his gaze focused on Raph. "Stable. He should have awakened by now. I'm concerned about infection of course, that's always the case when any of us is injured. There's no fever so I'm not sure why he hasn't come to yet."

"He lost a lot of blood. He's probably just exhausted," Leo said, hoping to ease Don's mind and his own as well.

"I think I know that, don't you?" Don asked snappishly, looking over at Leo. "I've only done this what feels like a million times. I wouldn't have mentioned it if it was normal."

"He'll be okay Donny," Leo said soothingly, ignoring the outburst.

Don's mouth pressed into a thin line, his hands clenching into fists. Leo said nothing and didn't move, watching his brother. After a moment Don's hands opened and his faced smoothed out.

"I'm sorry," Don said softly. "For what I said last night and now. We can't always be lucky when we patrol; we can't always come away unscathed and we can't always be there in time."

"It's fine Donny. For what it's worth, I understand the need to vent your frustrations. It's healthier than what . . . what I tend to do," Leo said, fighting down the uncomfortable feeling he got when discussing his own emotions.

This time Don actually smiled a little. "You mean burying them under hours of practice and meditation? I'll never forget what Mikey told us once about how we should all lay off of you. He said we all benefitted from you being the responsible one. I still forget that sometimes because you shoulder those duties well. It isn't fair of me to expect you to be greased lightning and appear everywhere at once."

"It was incautious of me to have us split up," Leo said, shaking his head. "I underestimated that man, thinking he was an ordinary mugger. My focus was so much on catching him that I forgot to weigh the human variable and take into account the actions of his targets. Raph . . . ."

Before he could continue Don interrupted him. "Speaking of our mugger turned murderer, I may have something."

He crossed the room to his desk and opened his laptop, taking a seat and glancing expectantly at Leo. When he saw his brother moving to join him, Don tapped some commands into his keyboard and pulled a picture up on the screen.

"I couldn't see the guy's face at all during our struggle," Don said, "but I did notice an amulet he was wearing around his neck. It was unusual so I spent some time trying to learn if it was an original piece, or if it had cultural significance. When I found these pictures I knew I was on the right track. They all sport different designs, but in the basics they are exactly the same."

The amulets displayed on Don's computer screen were all of a tubular shape, some with a very simple design, others more ornate.

"What's the significance of this amulet?" Leo asked.

"It's called a 'Soulcatcher' or 'keeper of breath'," Don explained. "It's made of a bear femur and used by shaman. The legend is that a shaman's helper spirit may reside in the central head." Don pointed at the center of one of the amulets. "Each Soulcatcher is decorated with an animal at both ends and an anthropomorphic face in the middle. That form may have represented the ability to shift shapes."

"Are we looking for someone who considers himself to be a shaman?" Leo asked, studying the amulets closely.

"It's possible," Don said. "Whenever someone in a tribe was ill and herbal remedies didn't work, it was believed that the person was suffering from 'soul loss'. They believe a soul could be lost in one of three ways; that it had traveled during a dream and was unable to return, that it had been frightened out of the body, or had been enticed out by witchcraft."

"The shaman's job was to retrieve the soul?" Leo guessed.

"Exactly. He'd wear the Soulcatcher as a necklace and travel to the spirit world by calling his helper spirit. Once he located the errant soul he'd suck it into the Soulcatcher and return to his patient. Then he would blow the soul back into the patient."

"None of that sounds evil," Leo said.

"Nor does its other use, to suck malevolent spirits out of a patient," Don said, beginning to sound animated. "But that made me wonder if someone of ill intent couldn't believe the story and think that he'd gain some kind of power from sucking souls from random people."

"So our mugger could be someone who's delusional," Leo mused. "That would partially explain his strength and speed, the criminally insane can sometimes tap into their adrenaline supply the way a junkie hopped up on meth does."

"It's possible his own psychosis has made him believe that the souls of people who are emotionally vulnerable can provide him with greater power," Don said. "That's why he targets victims who are suffering from a loss."

"And the two week intervals?" Leo asked.

Don shrugged. "Every psychosis is a creation within a warped mind. Maybe he believes that the souls have to be replenished every two weeks. If that's the case, then I think he'll strike again tonight. We need to go after him."

Leo frowned, looking from the screen to Don. "He's already gotten his victim. It's going to be two weeks before we can try to track him down. We need that time to plan our next step and learn more about him. We're not ready for the guy."

"I'm telling you he's going to attack tonight," Don said, starting to sound agitated. "He didn't get that man's soul because I interrupted him. He didn't have enough time alone with the man when he first grabbed him to collect the soul and killing the man was a mistake."

As much as Leo hated to argue with Don, he had to dissuade his brother from the notion of hunting for the killer while the citizens and the police were still riled up from the shooting. "The police are going to be out in force for the next few nights," he said. "They know that other people may get the same idea the woman who shot Raph had of taking justice into their own hands. If the killer does decide to come out, he's not going to hunt in the same area. We won't know where to look for him."

"But I _do_ know where he'll go," Don insisted. He twirled in his chair to face Leo. "He'll go after the woman I was watching last night because now she's suffered a double loss. First her mother and now her brother. She'll be devastated since this latest blow was a murder. There's no way he'll be able to pass that up."

"You're attributing too much to his delusion. No matter how insane he is, he'll have some sense of self-preservation. The police will probably be watching the woman and no one will be able to get near her. Crazy doesn't equal stupid or he'd have been caught by now," Leo said firmly.

"Crazy people can also be lucky," Don said, a bite to his words. "Since when do you second guess my facts? Is it because I let that man get killed right in front of me?"

"No Donny," Leo said, "it's not and you didn't 'let' him be killed. I'm not second guessing you, every piece of information you supply me with is valuable and always has been. We don't always move on them immediately and this is one of those times. Taking a risk by heading out again tonight when we haven't any concrete leads isn't prudent. If he comes out tonight the police will get him and that's fine; I don't care who gets him as long as he's caught. If he doesn't, we'll have another shot at it in two weeks and by then Raph will be well enough to join the hunt."

Don stared at him, his expression enigmatic. Leo could almost see the wheels in Don's brain turning, but had no clue what was going on in there.

"If that's your decision, then I accede to your wishes as our leader," Don said stiffly.

It was painful to watch Don's anger reemerge, but there was nothing Leo could do about that. "Don't be that way, Donny. You know I have to put what's best for all of us first and things are dangerous enough without our taking unnecessary chances."

"I wasn't arguing," Don said, eyeing Leo coldly. "My job is to tell you what I've discovered, your job is to decide what if anything to do with it. You want to wait until Raph can fight at your side and I can't fault you for that _desire_."

The way he stressed that word was worrisome, as was Don's out of character overreaction. "Don, talk to me," Leo all but whispered. "Tell me why you're so angry. Is it because a man died and you couldn't stop it from happening? Please don't shoulder that burden alone, we're family."

Don's short laugh was derisive sounding. "We're family until you decide something all by yourself. Family until Raph becomes a key point in the equation, right?"

Leo's throat felt constricted. "You alluded to something about my feelings towards Raph last night. Speak your mind. If there's something you want to say to me, just say it."

"Forget it," Don said suddenly, waving a hand dismissively at Leo and spinning his chair back towards his desk. "You want concrete leads; I need to get back to work so I can find you some. Raph doesn't need to wake up to this discussion anyway."

It took all of Leo's self-control not to grab the back of the chair and yank Don around again. There was no point in that; once Donatello had decided to clam up nothing on Earth would break him open.

Taking a moment to calm himself, Leo said, "You haven't had any sleep. The research can wait. Why don't you lie down for a while? I can watch Raph."

Don snorted. "Yeah, I'll bet you can." His jaw worked from side to side before he added, "Sorry. You're right, I'm tired. Give me another hour or so first okay? I want to make sure Raph doesn't have an adverse reaction to the antibiotic I gave him. It's different from what I normally use and none of you will know what to do if something happens."

"It doesn't have to be me," Leo said. "Master Splinter is concerned about you too and said he'd be happy to sit with Raph or even both of you if you wanted to lie down on one of the other cots."

"Maybe I'll take him up on that," Don said, running a hand over his face. "I'll call him when I'm at a point where I feel comfortable catching some shut eye."

Leo wanted to tell him to do it now, but pushing at Don when he'd already reacted negatively to Leo's suggestions wouldn't have been smart. "I'll take these bags to the kitchen. Shall I bring you some lunch?"

Don shook his head. "My stomach is still in knots. I'll get something after a while."

That was something Leo could understand, not feeling all that hungry himself. "Okay. I'll let Master Splinter know you'll need him later."

There was no response and Leo took his leave, casting a final look over at Raph and resisting the urge to approach him. His brother hadn't made a sound or moved since Leo entered the infirmary and it was easy to see why Don was so tense about his condition.

There had been no sign of life in the lair when Leo first returned, but now he could smell something cooking in the kitchen. Taking the bags there, Leo saw Mikey at the counter chopping up vegetables. The aroma of cooking meat came from a large cook pot atop the range and Leo would have found it enticing if he didn't feel as if someone had landed a hard blow to his gut.

"I'm cooking a pot roast for dinner," Mikey said after glancing at Leo and returning his attention to the vegetables. "It'll be a few hours before its ready. There's sandwich stuff and leftover pizza in the fridge, you should eat something."

Setting the bags on the kitchen table, Leo proceeded to remove items from them. As he moved around the kitchen putting things away, he said, "I'm not very hungry, Mikey."

"Sure you are," Mikey said, pointing his knife at Leo. "You don't realize it because you keep worrying about everyone but yourself. I went through the trouble of carving slices off of a ham, you can at least eat some of it."

Leo couldn't help but smile at that. "Yes mother."

"My children are so spoiled," Mikey responded in a falsetto voice. "Here I am, working my poor fingers to the bone for them and how do they repay me? I endured fifty-two hours of labor birthing you and . . . ."

"Okay, okay," Leo said hastily, hoping to sidestep one of Mikey's extemporaneous monologues. "I'll eat."

Mikey chuckled and went back to his dinner preparations while Leo grabbed sandwich fixings from the refrigerator. Before sitting down at the table, he poured a glass of milk for himself and his brother. The cool liquid felt good going into his empty stomach and Leo found that he was regaining his appetite. As he ate, Leo decided that it wasn't just the food but also Mikey's company that eased his stress enough to make him enjoy his meal.

Leo remained where he was even after he finished eating. He and Mikey had started talking, not about current events, but other more enjoyable topics. In the back of his mind Leo had the idea that Mikey was steering their conversation away from touchy subjects and found that he was relieved by that.

When Mikey shoved the roast into the oven and set the timer, he turned to face Leo. "You gonna do anything in particular with the rest of the afternoon?"

"I need to clean my katana," Leo said. "My kit's in the dojo."

"I'll go with you," Mikey said. "We can keep each other company."

Together they walked to the dojo, Mikey talking but keeping his voice down. Leo decided that the lair's silence was making his youngest brother nervous, reminding him too much of the fact that one of their siblings was down and the other disconnected from them by his anger.

When they reached the dojo they discovered that Master Splinter was already there and performing Tai Chi. He greeted his sons, noticing that Leo had begun to set out his sword cleaning kit.

"Michelangelo, please come and spar with me," Master Splinter requested. "The practice will be good for both of us."

Normally Mikey would have bemoaned such a request but instead he quickly agreed. Right then it struck Leo that Mikey must be well and truly bored.

The sounds of their sparring soothed Leo as much as the repetitive act of cleaning his swords did. When he finished, Leo joined them, his father stepping back into his spectator's role so he could observe his sons.

Mikey offered Leo a unique challenge that was exhilarating. Each of his brothers' styles tested Leo's abilities in different ways, but Mikey's was the most changeable. His innate athleticism pushed his brothers to their limits and forced them to use everything they'd ever been taught just to keep up with him.

When the oven buzzer sounded it surprised Leo. There was no clock in the dojo and he had no idea how much time has passed. He immediately felt guilty for allowing himself to forget everything else and simply enjoy the company of his father and Mikey.

"Come on, let's get that roast out," Mikey called out enthusiastically after Master Splinter dismissed them. He was already bouncing out of the dojo.

Leo and his father followed at a more sedate pace, entering the kitchen as Mikey pulled the oven door open. As soon as he did, a wonderfully appetizing smell filled the room.

There was no way Don could decline to eat now, not with that scent filling his nostrils, Leo thought. One of the things that occurred to him was that his genius brother probably hadn't bothered to eat lunch, despite his assurances that he'd try.

Mikey used potholders to remove the pot and set it atop the range. "It needs to sit here and rest for a little while before we can . . . ."

The end of his sentence was cut off by a loud crash that sounded as though it came from the direction of the infirmary. Leo bolted from the kitchen, his brother and father right on his heels.

He was almost to the infirmary door when Raph suddenly appeared, stumbling like a punch drunk boxer. Wobbling on unsteady legs, Raph's knees bent and he fell against the doorframe, using his shoulder to brace himself.

Leo rushed over to him, sliding under Raph's free arm and wrapping his own arm around his brother's carapace. "What are you doing . . . ."

"Where's Donny?" Raph barked in his ear, the strength of his voice in sharp contrast to how frail he seemed.

"I don't . . . ." Leo began.

Raph pulled against his brother's hold and then shouted at him, "Donny! Damn it Leo, ya' gotta stop him!"

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Despite Raph's attempts to pull away, Leo refused to release him. "Stop struggling," Leo barked. "What's going on? The last we saw of Donny he was in there with you."

"He ain't anymore," Raph said. "I heard him say he was going after that mugger. He told me 'cause he thought I was still out of it, but I heard him. Ya' gotta find him. Now!"

"Oh shell," Leo cursed. "Lie down before you start bleeding again."

"I'm going to find Donny before something happens to him!" Raph yelled, though his exertions left him breathing raggedly.

"Raphael!" Master Splinter said sharply. "None of us can do anything until you calm down. Leonardo, take him to the couch."

"Okay, okay, just hurry," Raph grumbled, leaning heavily on Leo and allowing his brother to guide him. Once they reached the couch, Leo helped Raph sit down slowly, fearful of reopening his wound.

"Do you have any idea how long he's been gone?" Leo asked after ensuring that Raph was braced against the couch cushions.

"Not sure," Raph answered, short, sharp gasps punctuating his words. "I was fading in and out. Couldn't find my damn shell cell or I'd have tried calling him."

"I'm doing that now," Mikey said.

To his relief, Leo saw that Mikey had anticipated them and was already trying to reach Don. Within a few seconds though it became clear that Don wasn't answering.

"Anything?" Leo asked.

Mikey looked up and shook his head. "Phone's off. I can't even track his signal."

Raph grunted hoarsely, trying to move off the couch. Leo pressed a hand to his plastron to keep him down.

His eyes on Raph, Leo said, "Mikey, call Casey. Tell him we need his help finding Don and to get his motorcycle."

"Sure bro'," Mikey said, his brow furrowed. "Where's he supposed to go?"

"Give him the address of the apartment where Don's target lives," Leo said. "Donny told me this afternoon he thought the killer would try to strike at her again."

Raph started to jerk upright and then grimaced, clutching at his wound. "He told ya' that and ya' let him run off?"

"I thought he had more sense," Leo snapped. "He told me he thought we should stake her out and I told him it was too dangerous. The killer isn't going to be there because the police will be all over the place."

"We've dodged the cops plenty of times and so has this killer," Raph said. "Don thinks he knows what the nut needs. Ya' should have realized that."

"I thought his concern was for you and that would be enough to keep him home," Leo countered. In a small part of his mind he knew saying that was self-serving but couldn't help himself. "I'll find him, but I can't be very efficient if I'm worrying about you."

"Go and search for your brother," Master Splinter told Leo. He was standing behind the couch and placed a hand on Raph's shoulder. "I will attend to Raphael."

There was a look of reassurance in Master Splinter's eyes and Leo nodded before darting off. He found Mikey waiting for him at the sewer entrance.

"Shell sleds?" Mikey asked.

"Yes," Leo answered.

In record time the duo, running as fast as they could, reached the spot where they kept the sleds parked. Don's sled was gone, confirming that the genius had decided to take matters into his own hands.

Hopping onto their sleds, Leo and Mikey sped off, making directly to the area where they thought Don could be found. Over the sound of the engines, Mikey said, "You didn't tell me that Don was talking about going back to the scene of the crime. Where'd he get that idea?"

"He saw an amulet the killer was wearing. When he researched it he found that the amulet is called a Soulcatcher and is worn by people who believe they are shamans. Don thinks the killer has a psychosis involving his amulet. He thinks that the guy didn't get what he wanted from the man he killed because killing him was a mistake," Leo explained.

"Don thinks the killer will go back for the woman?" Mikey asked. "Two people close to her have died, one of them murdered. The cops will probably be sitting on her. Heck, by now even they will have discovered the same pattern that we did."

"I told Don all of that," Leo said grimly. "He thinks I'm doubting him because he couldn't stop that man from being killed."

"Don's trying to prove a point by doing something crazy," Mikey said. "That's Raph's shtick. There's gotta be more to it than that. It's got something to do with Raph getting hurt too, doesn't it?"

Leo had asked himself the same question. "I don't know," he answered. The discussion ended because as they rounded a turn, they saw Don's sled parked near a ladder.

Leaving their sleds next to Don's, the brothers began climbing the ladder, Leo in the lead. As his hand touched the manhole cover, the sound of a motorcycle reached the pair. From the unique tone of the engine they knew it was Casey's.

Lifting the manhole cover slightly, Leo assured himself that but for Casey, they were alone in an alley. He slid the cover aside and emerged quickly, followed swiftly by Mikey.

"Did you see Don?" Leo asked as Casey cut off his engine and lowered the kickstand.

"No," Casey said, stepping away from his ride. "Street's kinda empty but there's a lot of dark sedans parked within sight of that woman's apartment. I kept to the speed limit so I could get a look inside the front windshields 'cause the rest are tinted."

"Cops are inside of them, right?" Mikey asked.

"Either that or a lot of people like sitting in their cars staring at dirty New York streets," Casey answered.

"How far from here is the alley where you and Don encountered the killer?" Leo asked his brother.

"A few blocks," Mikey said. "I guess Don isn't taking any chances on the cops spotting him. Hey Casey, how'd you know to turn in here?"

"It was the first alley I came to that was out of sight of the unmarked cars around that woman's apartment," Casey said. "I was gonna swing around and take a loop down the street behind her building when I saw the manhole cover move."

Leo squatted, his eyes fixed on the ground nearest the manhole. Mikey and Casey remained silent, watching as Leo attempted to pick up his brother's trail.

After a minute, Leo rose and began walking forward, his head down as he followed a track that was nearly imperceptible to the other two. It took him to the mouth of the alley where he paused to examine the street to either side.

"No way he took a stroll down the sidewalk," Casey whispered from behind the turtle.

"He didn't," Leo said, staring across the street to the alley on the other side. "Wait for my signal and then cross over."

Looking up at the surrounding buildings, Leo ensured himself that no one was peering through any windows. With another glance in both directions, he lifted his hand as a signal and then darted forward.

In less than a second all three entered the darkness of the opposite alley. While Mikey kept an eye out behind them, Leo once more searched for and found Donatello's path.

He'd just picked it up when Mikey's shell cell buzzed. Glancing back, he saw Mikey pull the cell from his belt and look at the display.

"It's Raph," Mikey said, lifting his head to meet Leo's eyes. "Guess he found his shell cell."

"Don't answer him," Leo said shortly. "Turn it off."

Mikey slowly did as he was told, a concerned expression on his face. "He'll be pissed."

"I'll deal with it," Leo said, not happy with the situation. "Right now we need to focus on Don, not listen to Raph second guess everything we do."

"I hope Master Splinter can control him," Mikey muttered as Leo started moving again.

Leo didn't bother to reply, though he was fervently hoping the same thing. His father would not like it if he had to use force to restrain Raphael.

Don's trail led to a fire escape ladder going up the side of a storage facility. Leo breathed a silent sigh of relief. He hadn't really thought that Don would be so rash as to approach the woman's apartment from street level, but then he hadn't imagined that Don would run off like this in the first place.

The bottom most ladder was fully extended, another indication that Don had taken that route to the roof tops. Leo had just started up when he felt his shell cell vibrate.

Mikey was near enough to hear the muted sound and gave his brother a quizzical look. "You know he's agitated if he's calling you," Mikey said, keeping his voice down.

Leo stepped back from the ladder. "You and Casey go on up. I'll be right behind you."

"What are you going to say?" Mikey asked as he reached for the ladder.

"I'll know when I say it," Leo said. "Go on."

Though he appeared worried, Mikey proceeded upwards, moving fast. Casey started up after him as Leo took the shell cell from his belt.

"Raph?" Leo asked.

"What the hell? Why didn't Mikey answer? What the fuck is . . . ?"

"No!" Leo said sharply, interrupting him. "We don't do this now. I'll let you know when we've found him. Don't make me tell him you're bleeding again."

He turned off the shell cell abruptly, giving Raph no more time to argue. A running jump took him high up on the ladder and he climbed rapidly, aggravation warring with focus.

By the time he joined Mike and Casey on the roof, Leo had his emotions back under control.

"I found which way he went," Mikey said, pointing in a westerly direction.

"He's taking a roundabout route back to that woman's apartment," Casey said.

"Let's hope he remains that cautious," Leo said, leading the way across the roof tops.

The three of them stayed low and slow, keeping an eye out for Don, for police, and for the killer. Leo could not completely discount Don's theory that the crazed man might make another attempt on the woman who had now lost both her mother and brother. No one could fully predict what a psychopath might do, but Don had been very sure of himself.

Leo had to wonder if perhaps he'd been too preemptive in shutting Donatello down when his brother was trying to explain his theory. Don's notion was based strictly upon how he was reading the killer and his belief that a psychosis was driving the man.

Rather than acknowledging that Don's concept had merit, Leo had viewed the killer from a rational viewpoint. To his mind, no one would risk returning to the scene of the crime when they had to know a murder would draw out the police.

The problem was that people _did_ return to the scenes of their crimes. They did so often enough that staking out a crime scene had become standard operating procedure for law enforcement.

It made Leo question his rationale. Had he shot Don's theory down in flames because of his concern that they themselves would be caught by the police, as he'd told his brother, or was it something else? Was finding himself at odds with Don over Raph making him combative and aggressive towards the genius? Was Leo trying to assert his dominance over Donatello, unconsciously issuing the message that he wanted Raph for himself?

Shaking his head, Leo pushed all of those thoughts aside. Plenty enough time to deal with his motivations once they'd retrieved Don and gotten him safely home. Then he could also deal with the fall-out from hanging up on Raphael.

Mikey suddenly stopped near a storage shed, going down to one knee in its shadow. Casey flattened himself against the wall behind Mikey and Leo crept up next to his brother.

"Thought I saw something," Mikey said, nodding towards the roof top garden atop the building across from them. "Cops maybe."

Directing his gaze to the spot Mikey had indicated, Leo carefully surveyed the area, which was almost fully covered by a lush, growing landscape. In a moment he saw movement amongst the trees and concentrated his attention there.

Another flash of motion pinpointed where Leo needed to look. As soon as his eyes found the site, he saw the end of a cape flap outwards.

"There!" Mikey said excitedly, having seen it as well. "That's him, that's the killer!"

Before the three could move, Leo saw a streak of olive green shoot through the trees, going directly towards the cape.

"Donny!" Leo yelled, dashing across the roof and jumping the chasm separating the buildings.

Drawing his swords, Leo rushed to where the now clear reverberations of a fight could be heard. As he dodged his way through the maze of tree trunks, Leo saw a grassy clearing ahead and headed for it.

Leaping into the open, Leo saw Don swing his bō staff at the killer's shrouded head. Before it could connect, the man lifted his arm, blocking the blow and reaching out with incredible speed to grasp the end of the staff.

Don was strong, much stronger than Leo, but the man nearly pulled him off his feet as he yanked on the bō staff. Momentum carried the turtle forward and he lifted his fists, his first blow connecting ineffectually, his second swatted aside.

Leo ran towards them as fast as he could, seeing the killer grasp one of Don's arms and spin him around. Before Leo could reach them, the killer had Don in a sleeper hold, one forearm around Don's neck with the opposite hand locked onto his own arm.

Donny's eyes bulged outwards, his panicked gaze landing on Leo. The sounds of his choking echoed across the clearing but Don still had the presence of mind to mouth the words, "get him."

With a shout Leo bolted forward. Just as he reached the pair, the killer twisted aside, dragging Donatello with him.

The move was so quick that Leo blew right past them. Turning as fast as he could, Leo saw both Casey and Mikey leaping for the killer.

Neither got close. Even with Don's weight bogging him down, the caped man easily dodged both of them, his fluid movements nearly a blur.

Don was starting to sag in his arms, his eyes rolling back in his head. Remembering that the man had killed his last victim in this manner, Leo called out, "Flank him! Move as one!"

In the seconds it took the three of them to get into position, the killer removed his hand and grasped his amulet. Lifting one end to his mouth, he angled the other towards Don's.

Donatello's gasp was loud, his body jerking against his assailant's. Leo did not know what the man was doing with the amulet, but he could see that it was painful.

"Go!" Leo shouted, diving at the killer.

Mikey and Casey swept in from either side. Their movement brought the man's head up and as it lifted, so did one of Don's hands.

Strong green fingers clutched at the amulet, yanking it off of the man's neck. Crying out, the killer released Donatello, who crumpled to the grass, the amulet still in his hand.

The killer made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and leaned down, reaching for his amulet. Before his questing fingers could catch hold of it, Leo thrust a katana at his head.

Flinging himself backwards, the killer dodged the deadly blow. Landing on his shoulders, the man rolled over and onto his feet, catching a stinging whack from Mikey's nunchucks against the side of his neck.

Casey's baseball bat struck home, connected solidly with the man's ribcage. The hit forced the man to stumble aside and then Leo was coming at him again.

Grabbing an edge of his cape, the killer flung it at Leo's face as he spun around. Leo's sword sliced into the cape, cutting a huge chunk of it off of the garment.

With an expert flip of his wrist, Leo dislodged the material from his katana so that he could get the killer in his sights again. What he saw was Casey sprawled on the grass, one hand clutching his stomach and Mikey barreling at the killer.

Rather than avoid him, the killer turned on Mikey, ducking beneath his nunchucks and plowing into the turtle. The wallop hoisted Mikey into the air like a rag doll, sending him flying against the trunk of a tree, the power in that blow uprooting it so that both Mikey and the tree crashed to the ground.

In the time it took Leo to look towards Mikey to confirm he wasn't seriously hurt, the killer had vanished into the trees. Racing after him, Leo weaved his way through the tiny forest without catching a glimpse of his adversary.

Leo reached the edge of the roof, his quarry nowhere in sight. Staring with disbelief in all directions, Leo tried to come to grips with the fact that the man was either too fast for them, or could actually become invisible.

Cursing under his breath in Japanese, Leo sped back to his brothers and Casey. He found Mikey kneeling next to an unconscious Donatello, with Casey standing guard over them.

"You didn't catch him, did you?" Mikey asked.

Leo shook his head, his eyes on Don. Sheathing his katanas, Leo knelt down on Don's other side and checked his pulse.

"It's strong," Mikey said, verifying what Leo had felt for himself. "Breathing sounds okay. I don't think the guy damaged his throat."

"He's out cold," Casey said, stating the obvious. "How are we getting him back to the lair?"

"Can you borrow April's van?" Leo asked. "We'll wait here. Take a route far away from the undercover cops and pull into the alley below. Call us when you're in position."

"Will do," Casey said, striding across the roof top. "Maybe he'll come to while I'm gone and we won't have to carry him down."

"I hope so," Leo muttered, missing the look Mikey gave him.

All Leo could think about was how much better it would be if Don walked back into their home rather than having to be carried. Otherwise, Raphael might never forgive him for not reaching Don in time.

TBC…..


	8. Chapter 8

Unfortunately, Donatello did not regain consciousness by the time Casey arrived in April's van.

Leonardo draped his brother's limp form over one shoulder and took him across the roof to the building's fire escape. Michelangelo climbed down the stairs in front of him, prepared to act as a guard should they be ambushed. They reached the alley without mishap.

Casey had the van's side door open and helped to ease Don off of Leo's shoulder and onto a seat. After Leo strapped his brother into a safety belt, he took the seat next to Don, extending one arm across Don's body in case they had to make a sudden stop.

No one said anything as they drove. In the front passenger seat, Mikey cast occasional glances back at his brothers, but the grim look on Leo's face kept him quiet. Whatever Mikey was thinking he kept to himself. Some things were not said in front of Casey, no matter how close the man was to the little mutant family.

Mikey had both Don's bō staff and the amulet that his brother had yanked off of the killer's neck. When he wasn't looking at his brothers, Mikey was examining the amulet. From his point of view it was an interesting trinket and one that looked to have some value, but beyond that it didn't seem at all special.

Casey pulled into the turtles' garage, using the electronic door opener that Don had installed in April's van. Once Casey had parked the vehicle, he and Mikey came around to the side door to help Leo.

Donatello almost seemed as if he was in a drugged sleep. When Leo once more pulled him across his shoulder, Don muttered something, but the words were unintelligible.

Entering the elevator, Leo purposely kept his mind on the task of getting Donny to the infirmary. He could tell from the way that Mikey was eyeing him as they descended that his younger brother was feeling almost the same level of trepidation as Leo at the prospect of facing Raph.

Taking a deep breath, Leo quickly stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened. For a second he was surprised to find that Raphael was not waiting for them and then he realized that Master Splinter wasn't visible either.

Leonardo kept moving towards the infirmary and Mikey walked fast to stay next to him, with Casey on their heels. When they were within a few feet of the entry, Master Splinter stepped out to greet them.

"How is he?" Master Splinter asked, keeping his voice low.

"Unconscious but I don't believe he's been injured," Leo answered. "Raphael?"

"Inside," Master Splinter answered. "He was highly agitated and I was almost forced to detain him physically. It was only by assuring him that you had found Donatello that he agreed to wait for your return."

Leo nodded, briefly wondering how sensei had known they'd found Don, before walking past his father to carry Donny into their sick room. As soon as he entered, Leo saw Raph sitting in Don's favorite chair, his eyes closed.

At the sound of his brothers' return, Raph's eyes popped open. Flattening his palms on the arms of the chair, Raph pushed himself to his feet and rushed over to the cot that Leo was placing Donny onto.

Raph looked at no one but Don. Grasping Don's shoulders, Raph leaned down and peered into his brother's face. "Don, Donny, can ya' hear me? Come on genius, open those brown eyes and look at me."

Leo had taken a step back and now watched in silence. He had never heard such a gentle tone in Raph's voice nor seen such a tender expression on his brother's face. Raph often called Don 'genius', but never before had it sounded so much like a term of endearment.

Mikey had gone to the sink to run cold water over a small cotton towel. Squeezing the excess water from it, he folded it into a square and returned to place it on Don's forehead.

"What happened?" Raph asked, glancing up at Mikey before returning his gaze to Don.

As hard as it was, Leo held his tongue. He knew that Raph was perfectly aware of his presence but had chosen to address his questions to Mikey. If there was lingering ill will towards Mikey for ignoring his phone call, Raph did not express it. Raph hadn't needed to be with them to know that Mikey hadn't answered because he was following Leo's orders.

"Don tried to take that guy down on his own," Mikey said shortly.

Mikey had started patting Don's forehead and cheeks with the cold towel. Raph reached out and took it from him so that he could minister to Donny.

"And?" Raph demanded, scowling at the abrupt way Mikey had answered his question.

"Ask Leo," Mikey told him, staring at Raph as though issuing a dare. "He's the one who saved Donny."

For a moment Raph said nothing, though Leo could see his brother's jaw working from side to side. "How'd he get like this?" Raph finally growled, turning his head just enough so that Leo would know the question was aimed at him.

Raph's voice was low but Leo, who knew the nuances of his speech, could tell that Raph was working to contain his anger.

"We didn't reach him in time," Leo stated bluntly. There was no point in sugar coating what had happened. "He engaged the killer on his own and was overpowered. The man started to choke him out and we attacked."

"Did ya' get him?" Raph asked, his clipped words coming nearly on top of Leo's.

"No." Leo moved up next to Mikey. He was alternating between watching Raph's face and looking down at Don's. "He was strong and fast. Don managed to distract him which gave us the chance to move in, but he outmaneuvered us and then got away."

"That ain't fucking possible," Raph snarled, his head lifting so that he could glare at Leo.

"Yeah, it is," Mikey said, maintaining a level tone as he watched Raph. "He hit me hard enough to smash me into a tree trunk. He did the same thing to me and Donny the first time we tangled with him."

"By the time I checked that Mike and Casey were okay, the guy had run off. I looked for him but he'd disappeared," Leo said.

"I don't believe you," Raph said curtly, the barely contained fury starting to seep through.

"It's all true Raph," Casey said. He'd remained in the background with Master Splinter, but felt it was time he added his two cents worth. "I hit the guy with my bat and all it did was push him off balance. He returned the favor by slamming a hand into my gut that laid me out flat."

Leo's focus was entirely on Raph. "Why would I lie about that?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

"'Cause ya' want Donny out of the picture!" Raph shouted.

The room went deathly silent and Raph's mouth clamped shut, a flush of color suffusing his face. He turned his attention back to Don, placing one of his hands on the genius' face.

"Sorry Donny," Raph whispered, bending down to press his cheek against Don's. "Be okay, please? I . . . I know I promised, but . . . ."

"Raphael," Master Splinter interrupted. "Please allow me to look after Donatello. You are tiring yourself and you've had nothing to eat. Your brother will be most displeased if you are not well when he awakens."

"When he . . . ?" Raph asked, looking at his father. Leo could see the moisture in his brother's eyes and how the dampness had darkened the eyeholes in Raph's mask.

"Yes Raphael," Master Splinter replied, his tone soothing as he came to stand next to his son. "Donatello is merely unconscious. His experience was traumatic and he will awaken once he is well rested. Please eat something and then you must also rest. Return here and take the cot next to your brother's. I'm sure that will ease your mind."

"I don't want to leave him," Raph said gruffly, hiding a deeper emotion behind a tough display, as he usually did.

Leo looked on, a knot tightening in his chest. First it was Don who had displayed unusually strong and uncharacteristic emotions over the fact that Raph had been injured, and now Raph was behaving in an atypical way, despite assurances that Don wasn't hurt.

Normally, Raph would have jumped down Leo's throat for hanging up on him. At first Leo couldn't understand why Raph was holding back, but now he thought it was because his brother did not want to get into a fight with him where Don could hear them.

Was that the promise that Raph had alluded to when speaking to Don? Or was it something else? Leo wasn't sure that he wanted an answer to that question.

Leo couldn't ignore it either. There was more at stake here than Leo's feelings for Raph. These were his brothers, his family, his _team_. Secrets weren't something he could afford to have them keep from him. As much as he hated to, Leo was going to have to push Raph to the point where he cracked and said exactly what was on his mind.

"Mikey," Leo said, his voice low and even. "Could you and Casey go retrieve our shell sleds from where we left them?"

His younger brother looked at him and from his expression Leo could see that Mikey had grasped his hidden intent. "Sure," Mikey said. "We can start by returning April's van. Anyone need anything while we're out?"

"No," Leo replied, his attention now on Raph.

"Okay. Be back when I get back," Mikey said, leaving the room with Casey in tow.

Their departure changed the atmosphere, making it sharper and more defined. Master Splinter gently pried the towel from Raph's hand, his body displacing Raph's so that the large turtle was forced to step back from the cot.

"I wish to speak to Leonardo," Master Splinter said firmly. "Afterwards I will assess Donatello's condition. I cannot do that with either of you in the room. Please go get yourself something to eat, Raphael."

Raphael rubbed at his face with a shaking hand before nodding once and stomping out of the room. His route took him past Leo, who could see blood forming on his bandages.

"They will have to be changed," Master Splinter said once Raph was gone, having noticed the bandages as well.

Leo turned his head to look at his father. "He needs to lie down and allow that wound time to heal."

"Raphael will not do so until he receives answers," Master Splinter said. He refolded the towel and placed it on Donatello's forehead once more. "Be prepared to offer what you can though he may not know what the questions are. Much of his anger stems from a feeling of helplessness."

"I am feeling a little of that myself," Leo admitted. "How did you know we'd found Don?"

"I sensed your brother soon after you and Michelangelo left to find him," Master Splinter said. "His emotions were in turmoil and I could feel the grief, anger, and guilt warring in him. Donatello has always been very level headed and his mental state was unusual. It was worrisome and I felt I needed to work to maintain a connection to him. That is how I knew that you had caught up to him."

"That's how you knew that he was all right?" Leo asked.

Master Splinter shook his head, a frown furrowing his brow. "I knew that he was uninjured because of what I sensed from you. I was unsure of his actual condition because I lost my connection to Donatello soon after you had found him." He glanced down at Don and added, "I am still at a loss in that regard. I must have time with him to meditate and attempt to reach him again."

"And I need to talk to Raph," Leo said. "He blames me for this."

"It is not your fault, my son," Master Splinter said. "Guilt drove Donatello to do something foolish; do not let it drive you to do the same."

"Thank you sensei," Leo said, bowing to his father before leaving the infirmary.

Leo half expected to see Raph standing outside the door, but sounds from the kitchen told him that his brother had taken Master Splinter's advice. Rather than immediately going after Raphael, Leo spent a few minutes taking stock of the situation and allowing Raph time to eat. He was fairly sure that once he began talking to Raph, his brother would lose interest in food.

As he waited, Leo reviewed everything Raph had said and done since their return with Donatello. He laid those reactions alongside Don's when they'd brought an injured Raphael home. Leo's reached a conclusion fairly quickly, though he hoped that it was colored by his feelings towards Raph and wasn't actually true.

When ten minutes had passed, Leo approached the kitchen on silent feet. Entering, Leo found that Raph wasn't seated at the table, but was standing with his hip braced against a counter. The last bite of a sandwich was in his hand and Raph stuffed it into his mouth when he saw Leo.

"Don isn't going to be happy to learn you've been up and around," Leo said. "You're bleeding again."

Raph used a rubber band to seal the plastic wrap on the loaf of bread before saying, "Ya' figure to speak for Donny now? Gonna put words in his mouth?"

"We both know how he is when one of us gets injured," Leo said. "I'd prefer he doesn't have anything to worry about when he wakes up."

"Wouldn't have to deal with either of those things if you'd have been keeping an eye on him," Raph said as he placed the cold cuts and bread into the refrigerator.

"I'm sorry it happened," Leo said, drawing closer to his brother. "I had no indication that Don would attempt something like that on his own."

He reached out to touch Raph's forearm and his brother jerked away, as though Leo's fingers were poisonous.

"I'll bet ya' knew he wasn't sleeping or eating," Raph flared. "Ya' kept calling that mugger a killer before ya' left and I made Master Splinter tell me what happened. What the hell did ya' think Don would do, sit around waiting for ya' to get off your ass and handle it? A man got murdered right in front of his face!"

"We discussed his theory and Don told me he accepted my decision not to go out again so soon," Leo said. "There was no reason for me not to believe him."

"Except that ya' hoped he _would_ go out by himself," Raph retorted. "Is that why ya' left him alone? Were ya' hogging Master Splinter and Mikey's attention so they wouldn't make sure that Donny got some sleep? Were ya' hoping he'd be too tired to think straight?"

"I did not want Don to try anything on his own!" Leo shot back, his temper starting to climb in direct ratio to Raph's. "You keep talking as if I wanted to be rid of Don and that's not true. It doesn't even make any sense. When have you ever known me to not to have the best interests of my family at heart? Don chased us off. He chased us away from you!"

"He chased _you_ away from me!" Raph shouted. "Don't act like that didn't piss ya' off! He told me . . . Don told me that ya' wanted . . . ."

Raph grimaced, his lips stretched in a thin line across his teeth as though holding back words. Leo wasn't there because he wanted Raph hiding anything, Leo was there because he wanted it all out in the open. If pressuring Raph would do the job, then Leo would employ that trick.

"I wanted what?" Leo asked, purposely encroaching on Raph's personal space. He could feel the heat coming off of Raph, smell the musk that was uniquely his own. "Go ahead and spit it out, you know you want to. Don isn't here to hold your hand and tell you what you should say. Tell me what you really think, Raphael. What do I want? Say it!"

Having Leo yell in his face broke the dam of reticence. "Ya' want me!" Raphael roared. "Donny knows; he's known for a long time ya' asshole! Is it getting so bad you're willing to run over Don to get at me? Well fuck you Leo! Fuck you and your damn high horse! I'm with Donny and none of your shitty tricks is gonna change that!"

Leo's guts twisted up even though he'd steeled himself for some such revelation. "I don't play tricks on my own brothers," Leo responded, refusing to back up an inch. "Despite what you believe, I didn't know anything about you and Don. I don't even know what you being 'with' him even means. Why don't you explain that to me?"

"I don't have to explain a damn thing to ya'!" Raph barked at him. "This ain't none of your fucking business!"

"It is when it affects this team!" Leo returned quickly. "Don ran off and nearly got himself killed because of your secrets! You want to turn that on me when it was the two of _you_ hiding things that kept me from realizing what he might do!"

"Ya' want to know about me and Don?" Raph asked, glaring at Leo. "We love each other and have sex every damn chance we get! Got that Leo? Know what that means? I fuck Donny behind your back and he's the only one I want to be with!"

Something in Leo's head snapped. "No! That's not happening! You're saying that just to hurt me!"

He grabbed hold of Raph's arms to keep his brother from moving away and stared into those fascinating golden eyes, trying to will Raph into taking back his hurtful words.

"Let go of me before I punch your face in," Raph warned, glowering at Leo. "Ya' wanted the truth, ya' got the truth. Back the fuck up and deal with it."

Leo's composure was gone, displaced by a primal desire that he couldn't disregard. Rather than releasing Raph, he pressed in closer, taking advantage of Raph's injury and his diminished strength.

"I don't give up on the things I want," Leo husked, his body trembling against Raph's. "You don't know what I can do for you. Don't ignore me, Raphael."

"Have ya' gone crazy?" Raph asked, his eyes wide as he stared into Leo's face. His attempts to pull out of Leo's grasp proved futile. Dredging up Leo's temper was never a good idea, but this emotion, whatever it was, had a frightening aspect to it.

"It's time for my needs to be met," Leo told him.

"Not by me!" Raph shouted, twisting his head aside when Leo tried to kiss him. "Back off!"

A growl escaped Leo's throat, one of frustration and hunger. He could feel the honorable part of his nature warring for control with his more animalistic tendencies. Raph was hurt, Don was unconscious, this was wrong.

Leo was too close to Raph. Having the brother he wanted in his arms made the fight for command of himself too hard.

"I can't let you . . . ." Leo managed to choke out before his words were cut off by another voice.

"Both of you stop this now."

Leo lurched backwards, instantly releasing Raph and turning towards the kitchen doorway.

Standing on the threshold was Donatello, staring at his two brothers.

TBC…..


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Leo let him go, Raph pushed past him and rushed towards Donatello. Without a word he wrapped his arms around Don, holding him tightly.

Leo remained where he was, his thoughts and feelings in a complete jumble. He was distressed at having Don catch him in such a weak moment and shocked at himself for losing control in such an egregious manner.

Still he couldn't help but notice that though Raphael had taken Don into his arms, the genius was not returning the embrace. Don's arms hung at his sides, his eyes open and face expressionless.

"Ya' worried the shit out of me," Raph mumbled against Don's neck. "Don't ya' ever do anything like that again, do ya' hear me?"

"You're bleeding," Don said, stating it as a fact. "If you've finished eating we should return to the infirmary so that I can redress your wound."

Very slowly Raph leaned away from his brother to stare into Don's face. "Are ya' okay, Donny? Ya' sound . . . strange."

The notion that Don's lack of expression seemed familiar struck Leo then and he approached the pair, ignoring Raph's scowl.

"Donny, tell us what you feel right now," Leo requested, focusing his attention fully on Don. "You heard part of our discussion, enough to interrupt. Why did you want us to stop?"

"Dammit Leo," Raph growled.

"He's part of this," Leo snapped, not allowing Raph to change the subject.

"Your argument was pointless," Don answered when the two stopped talking. Looking at Raph he added, "By remaining on your feet and moving about in such a violent manner you risk further injury."

"You're mad at me for blurting out our secret ain't ya'?" Raph asked, sounding desperate. "I'm sorry, Donny. That wasn't my decision to make and I shouldn't have let Leo get to me."

"I'm not angry," Don said, his voice a complete monotone.

"Yes ya' are," Raph insisted, shaking Don. "You're pissed 'cause ya' didn't want things to get this complicated. Ya' said ya' didn't want to hurt Leo or Mikey. Ya' said we had to keep our relationship to ourselves 'cause it might change how we work as a team and not in a good way. Come on Donny, jump my shit for not being able to keep my fat mouth shut. I deserve it!"

He was practically screaming in Don's face, no doubt sensing the same thing that Leo had. Don merely looked at him, showing no consternation at the outburst and not attempting to pull out of Raph's grip.

"You grabbed the amulet off of the killer's neck," Leo said, keeping his eyes focused on Don. "Do you remember doing that?"

"Of course," Don said, turning his head to look at Leo. "It was a calculated move meant to draw the man's attention away from you and Mikey."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"To give you the opportunity to attack," Don answered with no inflection in his voice.

"Not for fear of his hurting us or worry that he might do you bodily harm?" Leo asked, pushing his point.

"No. My theory, based on the research I had done, led me to believe that the killer's psychosis was based upon an ancient belief which centered upon that amulet. Acquiring it from him would prove just as effective in stopping his spree as disposing of him would," Don said.

"You walked in here to see me holding Raph in my arms and trying to . . . to force my affections on him," Leo said, ashamed at his lack of control but determined to push it in Don's face in an attempt to garner some display of emotion from him. "How did that make you feel?"

"Raph did not respond to your advances," Don said. "There was no call for me to feel anything."

"What if he had?" Leo asked. "What if he had kissed me?"

"Shut up," Raph barked. "That ain't gonna happen."

"You were angry with me after Raph got hurt," Leo pressed, disregarding Raph's outburst. "You shouted at me and told me you knew I was attracted to Raph. I heard fear and jealousy in your voice. Are those feelings gone?"

That seemed to give Donatello pause to think. His eyes left his brother's faces as he looked beyond them, his focus turning inwards. After a moment he blinked and returned his gaze to Leo.

"I cannot recall either of those emotions," Don said. "The memory of them is gone, though I retain the words from the entire conversation. Clearly something untoward has occurred."

"Holy shit," Raph released his brother, but didn't step back from him. Instead, he lifted a hand to cup Don's chin, forcing Don's face in his direction. "Donny, tell me ya' love me."

Don stared at him. Leo watched the tableau with a sinking heart. No matter what his feelings for Raph were, this was not what he wanted. Never in a million years would he want Raph to experience the kind of pain that Leo could see etching its way onto his brother's face.

"I sense a familial attachment," Don finally said. "Nothing more."

"Ya' love me!" Raph yelled. "Ya' love me and I love _you_."

Raph surged forward again, both hands gripping Don's cheeks as he pressed an anguished kiss to Donatello's mouth. Don remained motionless, not returning the kiss, his hands still hanging at his sides.

Leo saw that Raph had begun to shake and knew that none of this was good for him.

"Stop," Leo said gently, touching Raph's shoulder very lightly and withdrawing his hand quickly.

For once Raph listened, letting go of Don and stepping back. It was clear from his expression that he was more confused than he was angry.

"What happened to him?" Raph asked, his voice raspy.

The turtle with the answers was standing right in front of them, so Leo said, "Don, hypothesize."

"It would seem that the killer does not suffer from an unsubstantiated psychosis," Don responded. "I experienced a moment of pain when he turned the amulet in my direction so I must now theorize that the artifact does imbue the man with the ability to extract some portion of a person's 'self'. Whether that is physical, mental, or whatever comprises what is loosely termed the 'soul' is something that requires additional research."

"You're saying that the myth you spoke of might be true?" Leo asked. "This person could be a shaman with a supernatural ability?"

"We have seen far too many strange things to discount the truth of that," Don replied. "The facts as we now know them seem to bear out the veracity of this theory."

"Wait," Raph said, holding up a hand to gain their attention. "Did you two just say the guy stole Donny's soul? With some sort of amulet thingy? Ya' said ya' grabbed it off his neck, Donny. Where is it?"

Don glanced at Leo who said, "Mikey has it. He took it from your hand when I carried you down to April's van."

"Well shit," Raph said, sounding exasperated. "Get Mikey's ass back here and reverse that spell or whatever the hell it is. We can get Don's soul back."

Shaking his head, Don said, "I am afraid it is not that simple. We don't know how the shaman activates the amulet. He may be the only one with the power to operate the object."

"Then we catch him and beat the answer out of him," Raph said, curling his hands into fists.

Rather than argue the point, Leo said, "To do that we have to locate him first. Running all over the city won't work, we have to formulate a plan based on what we know."

"There is much more to be researched on the subject," Don said. "Perhaps I can learn how the amulet works."

"So all we're gonna fucking do is sit around staring at a computer screen and talking about shit?" Raph asked. "That don't work for me, we should be out there hunting the bastard!"

"There is no 'we' to this," Leo said sharply. "Look at your bandage. It's nearly soaked through. You need to lie down and allow Donny to repair whatever damage you've done with all this jumping around. Our first priority is your health."

"Maybe that's your priority but it ain't mine," Raph argued, looking thunderous. "It serves your purpose just fine if Don can't return my affection, don't it?"

"Raphael," Don said, his voice once again stemming the tide of Raph's anger. "Our next logical step is to repair your wound. Blood loss will soon make you weak and sluggish. This man is not someone you can fight in that condition. Come with me."

Don turned and began walking towards the infirmary and after a second's hesitation, Raphael followed him. Leo remained where he was, knowing that his presence would only serve to make Raph more volatile and Don's job harder.

Mikey's pot roast still sat atop the stove, no doubt cold by now. Raph had ignored it in favor of a sandwich and Leo wondered if he shouldn't pop the roast back into the oven for a quick warm up. He wasn't particularly hungry, but knew that Mikey and their father probably were. Donatello needed to eat something as well; it had been many hours since he'd had anything close to a meal.

With a deep sigh, Leo crossed to the oven and slid the roast inside. Since he didn't want to do more than heat it, he turned the dial to its lowest setting. If that wasn't right, Mikey could fix it when he got home, which would no doubt be soon.

Leo found himself hoping for Mikey's presence. He needed to share the latest revelations with someone and the thought of doing so with Master Splinter felt shaming. While he couldn't admit to having such a deep attraction to Raph or even to speak of Don and Raph's attachment, Leo could review what they now knew of the killer.

 _"_ _Mikey will have some idea of what to do,"_ Leo thought. He didn't know why he was so sure of that, or why it offered him comfort, but it did.

Thinking of Master Splinter made Leo wonder where their father had gone after Don had regained consciousness. Walking out into the lair proper, he was relieved to see his father descending the stairs, a damp bath towel slung across his forearm.

"Was Donatello able to convince Raphael to lie down?" Master Splinter asked, stopping in front of Leo.

"They're in the infirmary now," Leo answered. "Don is seeing to Raph's wounds. Did you notice the . . . change?"

Master Splinter frowned. "Donatello has been robbed of something most precious. This killer you seek is a dangerous adversary, one who has succumbed to the lure of the dark arts. It would seem that Miss Brittany was one of his victims. Her behavior as described by Miss O'Neil mimics that of Donatello's."

"Most likely all of his previous victims are behaving in the same odd manner," Leo said. "Donny's going to do more research on the Soulcatcher amulet and the shaman who used those things. We're hoping he can find a way to reverse the damage that's been done."

"A soul contains immense power," Master Splinter said. "It is the essence of a being and contains great strength. If it can be stolen and that power harnessed, the person who has collected the soul could prove to be not only dangerous, but nearly unstoppable."

"That would explain how easily the man handled us," Leo said. "Sensei, he reacted so quickly it was almost as if he anticipated our moves and he was incredibly strong. It wasn't until Don yanked the amulet from his neck that any of us were able to touch him, but he shrugged off our blows as if we'd hit him with a pillow."

"Then allowing Donatello the time to research the meaning of the amulet is a prudent next step," Master Splinter said. "I feel as if my son is lost in a deep chasm that I cannot reach and it pains me. I had no sense of Donatello at all as I ministered to him. I should have known the instant he returned to consciousness but I felt nothing. His eyes suddenly snapped open and he sat up to assure me that he was unhurt."

"He appeared in the kitchen just as suddenly," Leo said. He decided to speak a little of what had occurred. "You know how demonstrative Raph can sometimes be and how worried he was when we returned with an unconscious Donny. When Don walked into the kitchen, Raph pulled him into a hug. Don didn't even blink; he didn't respond at all."

"And that lack of acknowledgement increased Raphael's anxiety," Master Splinter said with a knowing look. "All four of you are close, but Raphael and Donatello's bond has grown much stronger recently."

Master Splinter had seen and heard everything in the infirmary. Perhaps he had noticed something before then, or possibly Raph's behavior as he held Donny had started Master Splinter's thoughts in a certain direction. Leo wondered what, if anything, his father had gleaned from his own actions. For a second time Leo felt relief that Master Splinter had chosen a seeming lull in activity to take a bath.

Changing the subject, Leo said, "I put Mikey's roast back into the oven to heat up. I can't remember the last time I ate and I know Don has gone even longer without a decent meal."

"Did you say something about eating?" Mikey asked, making his appearance. "Shell sleds are back where they belong, April has her van, and Casey picked up his motorcycle. What did I miss?"

"Fill your brother in on everything that has occurred," Master Splinter said. "I wish to meditate for a few moments while we are waiting for the roast."

As Master Splinter left them, Mikey asked, "Kitchen?"

"Yep," Leo said. They started in that direction and Leo added, "You'll have to check the oven temperature; I didn't know the proper setting."

"I'll take care of it," Mikey said, going to the stove. He glanced back at Leo and told him, "Dude, sit down. You look all in. Where are Raph and Donny?"

"In the infirmary," Leo said, sinking into a chair and noticing how heavy he felt. "Don woke up and insisted that Raph go in for a repair job." As he said it, Leo realized how inaccurate the word 'insisted' was when applied to a soulless Donatello. "Where is that amulet Don took from the killer?"

"Right here," Mikey said, taking the amulet from his belt and setting it on the table before sitting down next to Leo. "Is Donny . . . okay?"

The question told Leo that Mikey had at least some intimation that there was more to the situation they were in than met the eye.

"No," Leo admitted in a low voice. "Don is not okay. Nothing is okay."

"Then bring me up to speed and let's see what we can do about it," Mikey said firmly, settling back in his chair and looking expectantly at his older brother.

That was the encouragement Leo needed and gave him energy he didn't think he had for the retelling of the events that had occurred while Mikey was out of the lair.

Mikey's astonishment at learning that Don had lost his emotions was obvious from the expression on his face, but he didn't interrupt. Having someone listen to him without appearing judgmental was a great solace and Leo found himself alluding to things he'd meant to keep hidden.

When he finished talking, Leo inhaled deeply, letting the breath cleanse him. After he exhaled, Leo said, "Right now I don't know Raph's physical condition, I don't know how angry he is at me, and I don't understand anything about Don's mental stability. There are too many questions."

Mikey grimaced. "If Donny has no emotions, then he's probably like Data on the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation," he said. "You know, full of facts and logic and looking all puzzled when someone has an emotional outburst or refers to their intuition. It's okay though 'cause he'll still have all his smarts and that's what we need right now."

"The dynamic is gone," Leo said, giving voice to something that was troubling him. "When we work together, fight together, it's as much about sensing and feeling each other as it is about the mechanics of a battle. I could always count on Don to anticipate what I needed him to do or where I needed him to be. This is going to make future altercations more dangerous than they might be otherwise."

With a shrug, Mikey said, "Don't have much choice, do we? Unless Don can figure out how to work this thing," he lifted the amulet and then set it down again, "and retrieve his soul, then we've gotta find old faceless and force him to give it back."

Leo had already heard that from Raph so he only half listened as his mind started down another path. "Why did the killer choose to steal Don's soul?" he mused out loud. "He was in the vicinity of the woman's apartment just as Don suggested he'd be, but instead of trying to escape Don he grabbed him. He didn't try that with either of you when he killed the woman's brother, what changed? Why did he choose the woman's brother rather than waiting for her? If we didn't know the brother was going to be there, how could the killer know?"

"Target of opportunity?" Mikey suggested.

"There are hundreds of people on New York City streets any given night," Leo said. "If all he wanted was easy prey, he could choose any of them. Up until now he has chosen someone who is in deep mourning; someone who has suffered a loss. The brother and Don don't fall within the pattern of how he finds his victims. Don doesn't even meet his criteria as we know it."

"Maybe he did," Mikey said. "Maybe the guy doesn't pick his prey from the obituaries the way we thought. There's more ways than that to learn about a dead person's family and who might mourn them. Maybe he even has some contact with them and can, I don't know, _pick up_ on their emotions?"

"Like Don's anger and guilt?" Leo asked. His thoughts returned to the conversation he'd had with April and what she had said about Brittany's loss of emotion and empathy.

"Sure," Mikey agreed. "Those aren't normal emotions for Donny. He's mostly happy and even tempered. The thing with Raph being hurt and Don's being jealous must have made for a strong emotional cocktail that the killer couldn't resist."

Leo stared at his brother. "Don's jealousy about . . . what?"

Mikey snorted. "I've got eyes. Skip it. You guys either think you're hiding something or you're in denial but none of that matters right now. That's off topic so table it for later discussion. Big question to answer at the moment is where does the killer find his target? I don't think any of us wants to wait two weeks for him to strike again. Find his happy hunting ground, find him."

As always, his youngest brother had intuitively hit on a concept that was solid and it gave Leo an idea. "I know what our next step should be," Leo said, feeling suddenly energized. "We need to brainstorm with Don."

He started up from his chair but Mikey reached out to grab his shoulder. "Nope. Uh-uh. Not right now. We all eat first, then we brainstorm. Master Splinter's hungry, I'm hungry, you're hungry even though you probably won't admit it, and Don has to be hungry. Aren't you the one always telling me an army doesn't move on an empty stomach?"

Leo couldn't help but chuckle. "Actually you're the one who's always saying that. All right, I yield to your momentary show of common sense."

"Momentary?" Mikey said. "Humph. Just for that you get to set the table while I go round up the family. Take the roast out of the oven while you're at it."

"Yes sir," Leo said, watching Mikey bounce out of the kitchen.

For the time being the weight of his responsibilities were lifted and Leo knew enough to relish the temporary respite that Mikey had given him. It probably wouldn't last all that long.

TBC…..


	10. Chapter 10

Soulcatcher  
part 10

Dinner proceeded without Raphael at the table.

Donatello returned to the kitchen with Mikey and informed his family, in a completely unemotional way, that Raph would not be joining them. Concerned, Leo asked if Raph's condition had worsened.

"No, I repaired the damage he'd done by moving about injudiciously. Then I administered a sedative," Don answered.

Surprised, Leo asked, "Raph hates being knocked out. Didn't he protest?"

"Why would he?" Don responded. "I am the family physician and therefore those types of decisions are solely within my purview. I did not give him an opportunity to voice an opinion nor did I ask his permission. I simply gave him the necessary injection."

The way Don spoke and acted was disquieting, to say the least. Leo surreptitiously watched Don while they ate their dinner, noting the change in his aspect. He responded not at all to Mikey's attempts at humor. For Don, sitting down to a meal seemed to be merely a way to acquire nourishment.

"Michelangelo, this roast is delicious," Master Splinter said during an awkward lull in the conversation.

"It's dry," Mikey said. "I should have chopped it up before heating it again so the pan juices could get into it."

Leo glanced at his brother, hearing something off in his tone. Mikey was trying to appear his usual easygoing self, but Leo could tell that he was upset by something.

"It really is excellent, Mikey. The roast isn't dry at all," Leo told him, smiling when Mikey looked at him.

"Really?" Mikey asked, seeming to cheer up. "So, does that mean this recipe is a keeper?"

Leo chuckled. "Yes. Let's not lose this one. What do you think, Donny?"

Don contemplated the question and nodded. "Yes, it is agreeably palatable. Nutritionally speaking, it provides one with a proportionate share of vitamins from several food groups. I would certainly choose it over foods containing empty calories."

"Thanks for the ringing endorsement," Mikey said with a touch of sarcasm.

Hearing Don speak in such a flatly unemotional manner was disquieting. There had always been a certain amount of animation in his voice, but now it sounded dull. Leo would rather hear the anger Don had exhibited previously than this lifeless tone.

"Donny," Leo said, leaning forward, "we figured this guy finds his victims through the obituaries, right? That he looks through the papers or online for the names of survivors because he targets people who are in mourning?"

"That was our original assumption," Don said. "However, I do not fit into that category. I was not in mourning when he attacked me."

"You attacked _him_ , bro'," Mikey corrected. "And you _were_ in mourning. You were upset about that man getting killed, even though you were hiding that under a layer of anger."

"You were also upset that Raphael had been severely injured," Master Splinter said. "Your emotional turmoil was extensive."

"He was going after the sister because he knew she'd be feeling a wide range of emotions," Leo said, "but so were you. Rather than fighting you off and escaping, as he'd done before, he chose you to be his next victim. He'd probably already determined he had no way of accessing the sister. The question is, before you came along, where did he plan to go so that he could feed?"

"To one of the other people on our list," Mikey guessed.

"Which one? The woman with the gun is in jail and unreachable," Leo said, avoiding the phrase 'the woman who shot Raph'. "Mine is in the hospital under suicide watch. Yours is apparently drowning his sorrows in drug parties, and Casey's is tending bar in a place full of patrons."

"He had another target in mind as a backup in case he couldn't get to the sister," Mikey said.

"The Shaman is a resourceful man," Don said. "He would no doubt have several targets in mind during the times when he's hunting."

"Where does he find them?" Leo asked. "They can't all be people listed in the obituaries because there aren't any others. Is every death listed?"

"No," Donatello answered. "Obituaries are notices of death provided by the survivors. They pay the newspapers for those notices as a way to apprise family and friends of the death and the funeral arrangements. The lengthier ones are a tribute to the life of the deceased, but they cost money. People who are not wealthy or who consider such tributes to be frivolous will often only purchase a basic statement of death without listing the decedent's surviving relatives, or they may not purchase a statement at all."

"Wait," Mikey said, straightening in his chair. "That means there could be a bigger victim pool for that guy than we originally thought. If he's not just looking at the obituaries, where else is he finding people to prey on?"

"Exactly my question," Leo said. "Another thing I've been thinking about is that the obituaries listed both the sister and brother as survivors, but mentioned that the brother resided elsewhere. So how did the Shaman know the brother was in the city? What are the other industries having to do with people's deaths, Donny?"

"The death commerce is a large one," Don answered. "If a person passes away in their home, the police are involved, as well as the medical examiner. If the death occurs in a hospital or an assisted living facility, there are medical professionals involved in the process. Burial or cremation arrangements must be made and if there are to be services of some type, the religious community becomes involved."

"I've seen TV shows about funerals," Mikey said. "Don't they have a lot of flowers and people who provide coffins or urns, and music, and a bunch of other stuff?"

"Printed programs, refreshments, and whatever else is fitting for the type of service required," Don said. "If the deceased was in military service, then there may also be honor guards and other representatives of the military. Funeral homes provide many of the necessary services, include a site for interment, such as a grave, or sending the body to a crematory. The cremated body is placed into an urn and is often stored at a memorial site."

"It sounds like there could be hundreds of people involved," Leo said with a frown.

"So we do what they do on those detective shows," Mikey said. "Process of elimination dude. We already have a starting place; all of this Shaman guy's victims had a death in the family. We've just gotta dig up what they all had in common."

Mikey's optimism was uplifting. "What do you think, Don? Is there a way to find out that information?" Leo asked.

"Certainly," Don said. "Everything is online and there is nothing that I cannot hack into. I can even write an algorithm that can search out common denominators. I will also continue to research the Soulcatcher amulet and the tribes who used them."

"Hey, maybe somewhere in that research it'll say how the Shaman works the amulet," Mikey said. "Master Splinter is mystic enough to get the souls out of it if he knows where to start."

"I can certainly make the effort, my sons," Master Splinter assured them. "Perhaps before Donatello begins his research, he will come sit with me and allow me to reach into his mind. I may be able to find the path his soul took in leaving him, which would tell me how the Shaman removed it. That knowledge would be very helpful in reversing the process."

"Maybe the Shaman left something of himself behind too," Leo said, looking at his father. "There could be a clue to his whereabouts in the residual spiritual trail."

"Yes, it is a good idea," Master Splinter said. "Donatello, I must also insist that you sleep before you begin the rigorous work of mining your computer for information. You have had no rest in at least two days."

Don brow knit, as though he was contemplating something. "My body does not seem tired, but I understand that sleep is necessary to rebuild my internal resources. I will do so after we have communed together, Master Splinter."

Leo could see that Don behaving in such an unemotional manner pained their father. Of the four of them, it was only Don who had ever managed to form a deep mental connection to Master Splinter. He hoped they could repeat that link and that Master Splinter could quickly find a way to return Don to normal.

Dinner was at an end and as the group rose from the table, Leo asked, "Don, would you like for me to go to the infirmary and check on Raph?"

Don had started to follow Master Splinter but stopped to answer Leo's question. "It would be prudent if someone were to do so. Since you care a great deal about his welfare, it would be appropriate if you were the one to look in on him."

There was no way to tell if Don was merely stating a fact or if he intended for there to be an underlying meaning behind his words. Leo couldn't ask since Don was already walking off, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to pursue that at the moment anyway.

Mikey had started clearing the table and Leo quickly grabbed some plates. "You shouldn't have to clean up the mess if you made the effort to cook the meal."

"Might as well," Mikey said. "Don't feel like doing much of anything else."

The odd tone had returned to Mikey's voice and concerned, Leo followed him. Standing next to his brother as Mikey filled the sink with sudsy water, Leo watched him for a moment, noticing that Mikey was purposely avoiding looking at him.

"What's wrong bro'?" Leo asked.

"I think you know," Mikey said without looking up.

Leo felt a hint of impatience, though he knew Mikey hadn't done anything to deserve his resentment. "I'm too tired for guessing games. I wish you guys wouldn't keep things from me."

"Oh, you mean like the fact that Raph and Don have hooked up and been having sex behind our backs for a while now?" Mikey snapped, resting his clenched fists on the edge of the sink and glaring at Leo.

Taken aback by Mikey's abrupt statement, Leo could only stare at him. This attitude was very different from how Mikey had behaved before they'd all sat down to eat.

"How long have you known that?" Leo asked softly.

The look Mikey gave him was scathing. "I guessed not long after they got together. It was easy enough to see that something between them had changed. At least, easy enough for _me_ to see, since I didn't have a dog in that hunt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo couldn't help sounding irritable.

"It means that I also know you have the hots for Raphie," Mike said. "You do know that he isn't going to give you the time of day while Don's in the picture, don't you? Raph's a one-turtle guy and besides, you don't have any of the qualities that Raph likes in Donny."

Leo felt himself start to tremble and took a second to get his emotions under control. "Whatever I may or may not feel for Raph, I'm not going to let that interfere with trying to get Don's soul back, if that's what's bothering you."

With a short, derisive laugh, Mikey said, "You could be conniving enough to try that but I don't think you would. Master Splinter wouldn't let you for one, but I'm pretty sure you've got enough honor not to do something that low."

It hurt Leo deeply to hear Mikey say that. He would never have thought the day would come that Mikey would question his honor. "You know me better than that, Mikey," Leo said, unable to hide the aggrieved tone in his voice. "Why would you even think it? Is it because I didn't realize that Don would go after the Shaman on his own? Because I had us split up in the first place, which is why Raph got shot? I'll admit that I screwed up by not understanding exactly what we were up against."

Mikey gaped at him. "Don't do that. Don't turn this into a Leo pity party. This isn't one of those times where it's okay for you to curl inward on yourself. That's really kind of selfish, Leo. You and Don and Raph are all focusing on each other, so where does that leave me? Huh? Anybody stop to think that there's a fourth brother in the mix, or am I the throw away sibling?"

He angrily twisted the water faucet, cutting off the stream, before stomping out of the kitchen.

All Leo could do was to gawk at Mikey's retreating form. After a bit he mentally kicked himself for not realizing that Mikey felt like he was trapped in the middle of some ridiculous drama.

It was no wonder his youngest brother was distressed, he'd been shoved aside and treated like a spectator in his own family. Mikey probably felt like an outsider who was only called upon as a guidance counselor, a cook, or the flunky who ran around cleaning up messes.

Setting the plates and utensils into the soapy water to soak, Leo exited the kitchen. He glanced around the lair but Mikey was nowhere to be seen and when Leo looked up towards his bedroom, he saw that the door was closed.

Leo debated whether he should knock on Mikey's door, beg to be let in, and then apologize profusely. Mikey had been his bulwark through this entire ordeal, the one who always stood with him offering advice and comfort.

Even as he contemplated that though, Leo had to ask himself if he would be apologizing because he truly felt bad about treating Mikey in such a cavalier manner, or because he worried that Mikey wouldn't continue to be there for him. If it was the latter, then Leo's apology would only be self-serving and Mikey would know that immediately. It would make matters between he and Mikey that much worse.

Leo glanced towards the infirmary and decided that at the moment, his priority needed to be Raphael. Mikey was no doubt as tired as the rest of them, and just as worried. Giving him some space was the best thing Leo could do. Once Mikey had his equilibrium back, they could talk things through.

The door to the infirmary was partially open and once Leo had entered, he quietly closed it behind him. He told himself that he was doing so because he didn't want Don to be tempted to look in on Raph and then forget his promise to get some sleep.

Standing next to Raph, Leo knew that wasn't the only reason he'd shut himself inside the room with his brother. Looking down at Raph's sleeping form, his face and body devoid of gear, Leo experienced the old familiar feelings of longing.

Drawing a shaky breath, Leo walked over to Don's desk and retrieved his chair, rolling it up next to Raph's cot. Taking a seat, Leo returned to his perusal of Raphael's face, his eyes caressing his brother's features in the same way that his hands longed to do.

"Raphael," Leo whispered. Even the feel of his brother's name on his lips was sensual.

How had things gotten to this point? When had he missed his chance to share something special with Raph? Had it happened when he'd become leader? Raph had certainly resented that change in their dynamic.

"I've loved you for a very long time," Leo murmured. His heart seemed to be caught in his throat and the urge to touch Raph compelled him to drape his hand over his brother's muscular forearm.

"How do I get past this?" Leo asked softly. "How do I live with knowing you and Don are together and that you don't feel anything for me? I love him; he's my brother too, but it's not the same. How do I lead the two of you, how do I manage my emotions so that I know I'm not trying to hurt him so that I can be with you?"

Leo closed his eyes, the pain of his situation making him momentarily dizzy. He listened to the sound of Raph's even breathing, imagining that he was lying next to him, that they had made love and were sleeping in each other's arms.

Shaking his head sharply, Leo opened his eyes, forcing himself to face grim reality. There was never any assurance that Raph would respond to him in the way Leo had hoped for, whether Don was in the picture or not.

"Please get better, Raph." Leo stood up, his hand still on Raph's arm.

For a moment Leo didn't move. He was drawn to Raph's mouth and leaned closer, wanting nothing more than to kiss him.

A hair's breadth from Raph's lips Leo caught himself. He had been hurt by Mikey's allusions to his honor and here he was, thinking about taking a kiss from his unconscious brother.

Exhaling heavily, Leo shifted his course and gently kissed Raph's forehead. Stepping away, Leo pushed the chair back over to Don's desk and sat down again, a safe distance from Raph.

Putting his feet up, Leo leaned back and shut his eyes, letting the sound of Raph's breathing lull him into a light sleep.

TBC…..


	11. Chapter 11

Soulcatcher  
part 11

"Leonardo."

With a start, Leo woke, jerking upright to look over at Raph before realizing that it was his father who had said his name.

Master Splinter stood near Raph's cot, his brow furrowed as he watched his oldest son rise from the chair and walk over to join him.

"Is something wrong? Raph . . . ." Leo trailed off.

"Your brother is all right," Master Splinter assured him. "He is resting peacefully. Come, we have things to discuss."

Leo again looked at Raph. "I shouldn't leave him."

"Raphael will be fine," Master Splinter said. "I will be able to sense if he experiences any distress. We will only be gone a short time and then I will return to watch over him."

"I can do that," Leo said.

Master Splinter shook his head, his expression firm. "No. You will sleep. Come out now, before we wake your brother."

Leo obediently followed his father. Before leaving the infirmary, he took one final look at Raph's sleeping form, etching it into his mind.

The pair proceeded on to Master Splinter's room and the aged rat pushed his shoji screen door closed once they were inside. Leo took his usual place on the tatami mat and his father kneeled opposite him.

"I sent Donatello to bed," Master Splinter said without preliminaries. "He did not argue over my instructions."

Leo could see that was worrisome to his father and knew why. It was out of character for Don to acquiesce to such a directive without protest, especially when there was work to be done.

"Did you learn anything of his condition?" Leo asked. "Any clue as to how he was changed or where this shaman might be?"

Master Splinter tapped a clawed finger against the small wooden table that was between them, a sure sign that he was disturbed. "There is a place in each of us that contains all that we are," Master Splinter explained. "A place that cannot be seen by man's machines but is nevertheless filled with our essence. It resides here." Master Splinter touched a spot just below the hollow in his neck.

"Our . . . soul?" Leo asked.

"It is one of many terms, but it is fitting," Master Splinter said. "Those who are spiritual understand and acknowledge the importance of that essence. Your brother Donatello's is empty."

Leo was silent for a moment as he let Master Splinter's words sink in. "Don's _soul_ is gone?"

"Yes." Master Splinter took a deep breath. "We had suspected that to be the case, but discovering that to be the truth leaves me quite dismayed. It is not easy to rob someone of their soul; it clings to its host most strenuously. Having it ripped from him must have caused Donatello great pain."

"It did," Leo said, recalling the image of that moment when the shaman robbed his brother of that most precious part of himself.

"The soul is the place within us where our heart and mind meet," Master Splinter said, expanding on the topic. "What comprises the soul is different for each of us. For some the heart has greater dominion, for others it is the mind. Within Donatello there resided an amazing balance; his brain has incredible power, but it is tempered by the largest of hearts."

"The body and brain must coexist," Leo said, following his father's explanation. "Without the soul, there is no conduit for them to meet."

"The brain takes over," Master Splinter said. "The subject becomes a pure thinking machine. It continues to command the heart to perform basic functions, but no more. Emotion; joy, love, pain, sorrow do not exist in the brain."

Leo's eyes drifted to the table as he became lost in thought. "When we experience a loss, it physically hurts us here," he said slowly, touching his chest.

Master Splinter nodded. "The brain is capable of rationalizing feelings, but it cannot appreciate them. When we speak of evil men, referring to them as 'having no soul' we are telling a deeper truth than we know. A person like Agent Bishop for instance, a man who may truly be termed a sociopath, lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. If one were to delve into his soul, one would learn that his heart has no power there. He is unbalanced."

"Now that term has greater meaning," Leo said with a slight smile. It faded as another thought came to him. "Does this mean that Don's actions will be dictated entirely by his brain without regard to right or wrong?"

"Yes," Master Splinter said. "You must keep that in mind, Leonardo. If you go into battle with this shaman, Donatello will act only as his mind directs. If he sees the opportunity to complete his mission he will take it, whether or not one of his brothers is in imminent danger."

"If I give him explicit orders . . . ." Leo began.

"He will likely ignore them," Master Splinter said. "He is incapable of weighing the distinctions that give more weight to a brother's safety than that of destroying a threat. He will not understand what the loss of a family member might mean unless it directly corresponded to the odds of completing the mission."

"He'd only save one of us if it meant our loss would jeopardize our chance of success," Leo said, phrasing it in a way that made it clear to him.

"You understand that it may be necessary to retreat and regroup in order to avoid a loss of life," Master Splinter said. "Donatello will not. If he calculates that the odds of victory are enough in his favor, he will continue onward, no matter who may suffer. He will have no regard for anyone's feelings because he lacks even the most basic emotions."

"Like when he administered the sedative to Raph," Leo said. "He knows that Raph despises the loss of control over himself, but Don showed no remorse about doing that anyway."

"When you devise a plan of action, you may have to decide if having Donatello with you would be a benefit or a liability," Master Splinter said.

"He'll have to be with us," Leo said. "We may only get one shot at forcing the shaman to reverse whatever he did to steal Don's soul. Don had to be present for the shaman to take it, he probably has to be there for its return. From this discussion, I'm guessing you didn't discover a way to retrieve Don's soul without our needing the shaman."

"I could not perceive the magic used to remove the soul," Master Splinter admitted. "However, I did learn the path that it took. The shaman used the Soulcatcher to suck Don's soul up through his mouth. That process in reverse will return Don's soul."

"Were you able to discern any clues as to who he is, or where he might be?" Leo asked.

"Very few," Master Splinter said. "There were glimpses inside Donatello's memories. I can only see what your brother saw; the things that flashed past him too quickly to imprint on his conscious mind but were embedded in his subconscious. I sensed no malice; no intent to do harm."

"But he's robbing these people of something that is essential to their quality of life," Leo said with surprise.

"He may believe he is performing a service," Master Splinter told him. "Whatever the need is that he is serving by the taking of souls, he is only choosing victims that have suffered a loss. Perhaps it is merely because the soul's essence contains more power when it is in such turmoil, or that it becomes easier to take at such a time. Or possibly, he feels that they will not miss their soul if it also takes away their suffering."

Leo remembered the woman who had tried to kill herself. "Some people are certain that they can't continue to live with the pain."

"There are many out there who can feel the anguish that others are experiencing," Master Splinter said. "Medical professionals, Holy men, first responders, and those who have embraced their spirituality. They can read the aura that a person who is suffering exudes. This shaman may have that ability. He may see this vulnerability and chooses his victims accordingly."

"Like he chose Donatello during their second meeting, but not the first," Leo mused. "Don was angry about what happened, he was scared for Raph, and he was feeling pain at the loss of the poor man's life."

"That was a powerful mixture of emotions," Master Splinter said. "It was strong enough to send Donatello out to do something that was extremely foolhardy."

Leo snapped his fingers. "If the shaman can read the aura of suffering, it means he has to have had contact with his victims. Mikey was right, he's not finding them through obituaries. We have to locate the common link between his victims."

"Michelangelo's understanding of cultural behaviors has many benefits," Master Splinter said, watching Leo closely. "We tend to overlook his many attributes because he hides them well."

Leo wasn't sure if his father had an underlying message in that statement, or if he was simply being humorous at Mikey's expense. It certainly called to mind that fact that Mikey was currently annoyed with him for being made to feel undervalued.

"How can we know for sure that we've found the shaman? If he's meeting these people somewhere, he must look normal to them. Do we even know it's a man and not a woman?" Leo asked.

"It is a man," Master Splinter said with certainty. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be accessing a visual memory. "The glimpses I got from Donatello's mind confirmed the shaman is male. His skin is of a tanned hue, his hair and eyes dark. His mouth is full, his nose more flat than pointed."

"The Soulcatcher amulet looks old," Leo said. "Perhaps it was handed down within a specific family. Donny said it was used by shaman in tribes, perhaps this man is Native American."

"There appeared to be a mark just at the base of his suprasternal notch," Master Splinter said. "Perhaps a birthmark or tattoo. It was not clearly visible and he may keep it covered most of the time."

"That's directly atop the location of the soul," Leo said. "Significant."

"As we have learned through our martial arts, this is a prime target for finger strikes," Master Splinter said. "He will most likely have more than a layman's understanding of its susceptibility."

"If we close his throat it could prevent him from accessing whatever it is he wants from the amulet," Leo said. "Don's soul is inside that thing, but the shaman never got the chance to pull it out again because Donny yanked it from his neck."

"We have Donatello's soul," Master Splinter said, leaning forward to touch Leo's arm, "and all of the others the shaman has stolen. He will want them back. If you do not find him, he will surely find you. Donatello may not have the ability to empathize, but he still has the skills necessary to find this man. Once he has rested, this must be his task."

There was something else weighing on Leo's mind and he felt it was his duty to bring it up. "It will be difficult keeping Raph from accompanying us once we discover the shaman's location. He won't want to be left behind."

"You must not delay your search in order for Raphael to have time to heal," Master Splinter said. "We do not know if the delay in returning the soul to its host will have detrimental effects. A lengthy separation might result in rejection of the soul by the body it originally came from."

"If Raph can walk he'll insist on going with us," Leo said, explaining something his father already knew. "Don might again choose to sedate him without his permission. Raph will be hurt by Don's actions. He won't understand why Don would do that to him."

"It is interesting that you use the term 'hurt' rather than angry," Master Splinter said, his searching gaze unwavering. "If it were you or Michelangelo who did such a thing to Raphael, your brother would express his displeasure most vehemently. Do you know that his reaction to an act of this kind by Donatello would engender a different emotion because you have become aware of their attachment?"

Leo gaped at him, though he should have known very little escaped their father's notice. "I didn't know about them until last night. Mikey . . . Mikey may have known before then. How could I be so unaware of this?"

"Because you did not want to know," Master Splinter said wisely. "Your own feelings for Raphael have been changing as well. Seeing he and Donatello together, realizing how close they've become and what that meant, was deleterious to your sensibilities. They have tried to hide their affection for one another so as not to destroy the dynamics of your team. Perhaps also to save you pain."

"I would rather have known," Leo said, his jaw working from side to side.

"Leonardo, you cannot be at odds with your brothers," Master Splinter said earnestly. "Whatever you may have hoped for with Raphael must be set aside for the sake of all of your brothers. Raphael and Donatello's teamwork has been flawless even with their new connection because they understand that none of you survives if their love for one another interferes with their performance in the field. If they cannot work together dispassionately as they have done in the past, then the team falls apart. They are very aware that the team is their first obligation."

"You've discussed this with them?" Leo asked, feeling a sudden resentment. "I'm the leader, Sensei. I should have been made aware of this as soon as it happened."

Master Splinter looked contrite and bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, you are correct my son. Do not blame them, it was my fault entirely. I instructed them to discuss this with no one and to hide their physical displays of affection from you and Michelangelo. Donatello promised that they would adhere to my wishes and though Raphael was hesitant, he did as his brother asked of him."

"Why? Didn't you think I could be trusted with that knowledge?" Leo asked.

"It was not a matter of trust," Master Splinter said. "They were still trying to understand their relationship and why they were attracted to each other. It would have been unfair to not allow them the time to explore everything their attachment might mean to them and their family, and to be able to do so without being placed under a microscope of their brother's attentions."

Working to hide his dismay, Leo asked, "Have you given them your blessing, Father?"

Despite Leo's efforts, Master Splinter seemed to read his consternation. After a moment Master Splinter sighed heavily and said, "Perhaps this is not the best time to expand upon this topic. It has no bearing on our current challenge. We must return our focus to locating the shaman and discovering his secret for capturing souls so that Donatello can be returned to normal. This is your first priority, is it not, Leonardo?"

Master Splinter's wording was a testament to his concern with the way Leo was handling the information he'd just received. Leo had grown used to his father's unwavering faith in him and that last question seemed like Master Splinter was exhibiting a lack of confidence.

"It is absolutely my first priority, Sensei," Leo assured him, hiding his injured feelings behind a stoic mask.

His father's expression softened. "You are tired, Leonardo. It is very late, please go to bed and sleep. I will keep a watchful eye on Raphael."

When Master Splinter rose, it was Leonardo's cue to do so as well. They left the room together, both heading in the same general direction. Before they parted company, Master Splinter touched Leo's arm to gain his son's attention.

"Leonardo, I have great faith in your ability to control this situation," Master Splinter said. "I understand how difficult it must be to set aside your personal feelings in order to focus on defeating the shaman and setting things to rights. Please remember, you are not alone in this. No matter what bond your brothers have formed, they will continue to respect and follow your commands. Do not forget Michelangelo in all of this; he has skills and insight that will be a great help to you."

"Of course, Sensei," Leo said with a bow. "Thank you."

Master Splinter nodded and then disappeared into the infirmary. Leo fought down the desire to peek in on Raph again, instead turning his feet to the stairs and taking them up to his bedroom.

After removing his gear, Leo slid beneath his blanket and turned out the bed lamp. Rather than closing his eyes though, he gazed up at the ceiling, reviewing the conversation he'd had with his father.

It troubled Leo to have learned that everyone knew of Raph and Don's connection except him. His longing for Raph must have blinded him to what had been obvious to everyone else. They had all certainly seen Leo's desire, though he'd thought he was hiding it well.

Leo had been caught in something of a triangle; his hunger for Raph forcing the hot head and the genius into hiding their love from him. No wonder Mikey had felt like the odd turtle out. No one had given Mikey's feelings a second thought.

That led to the realization that Leo had to talk to Mikey. They needed to discuss what Master Splinter had said about how Don might behave during a battle. It was only fair that Mikey have some input into deciding how they would work with a soulless Donatello.

It would give Leo a chance to apologize to his youngest brother. He only hoped that Mikey could forgive him.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

When Leonardo had gone to bed, he'd left his door partially open so as to be able to better hear anything that occurred within the lair.

Leo was a very light sleeper, so when Donatello's door opened, the slight creak of the hinges woke the older turtle. He quickly slid out of bed and donned his gear, catching up to his genius brother as Don descended the stairs.

"Did you sleep well?" Leo asked when Don glanced at him.

"I slept," Don answered. "When one is not plagued by emotions, slumber comes easily."

"I wouldn't exactly call emotions a plague," Leo said. "More often than not we survive because of them."

"And I would submit that our survival is in large part due to my technological knowledge," Don said.

"I'll give you that," Leo told him, stopping at the bottom of the staircase to talk to his brother. "It's something of a balance, wouldn't you say? Like the balance between the heart and the mind."

"You've been conversing with Master Splinter," Don said.

"Of course," Leo acknowledged. "We're all concerned about you, Donny. We need you returned to normal. You must understand how your lack of emotion could affect our team dynamics."

"I have already calculated all of the variables," Don said. "We have all trained together and fought in enough battles so that each of us knows how the other will respond in differing situations. Because of that, we are able to anticipate where each of our brothers will be and what they will be doing. That is no longer the case. I will not react in an emotional manner and will therefore be more concerned with the outcome of a fight than I will be with the resultant costs."

It was exactly what Master Splinter had warned Leo about, put forth by Don in a blunt, emotionless manner.

"I'm aware of that fact," Leo said. "I'm also aware that you may disregard a direct order if you believe you can secure a victory, no matter the danger to yourself or to any of your brothers. I can't have that and I can't leave you behind."

"You are in a quandary then," Don said. "If I were to be the reason one of my brothers fell I do not believe that I would want my soul returned to me. The trade-off does not sufficiently warrant the risk."

Leo took a moment to think, wondering how he could get a result driven Donatello to follow his commands without hesitation or question. Looking directly into Don's eyes, he asked, "Do you believe that I am a skilled strategist?"

His brother frowned, as though surprised at the question. "I do. You have studied enough battle lore and have fought in enough of them yourself to have acquired all of the subset of skills required to master the art of the general."

"Then do you believe it would be logical to react in a way that is counter to one of my commands?" Leo asked. "Would you say that your understanding of our ultimate goal is enough of an equal to mine that you could make your own decisions in that regard?"

Now it was Donatello's turn to think about what Leo was saying. "That would be hubris on my part, an emotion I cannot currently feel and do not believe to be part of my normal makeup."

"If you don't have the requisite knowledge base to contradict one of my commands, then doing so would be a detriment to the mission," Leo said. "No matter that there might seem to be a moment where it is favorable to strike."

"You present a cogent argument," Don remarked thoughtfully. "I must rely on your expertise in the matter, rather than my own intellect. When weighing my options, it would be prudent for me to remember how often your tactics have proven to be accurate."

"An intact team is necessary to the completion of any mission," Leo said, striving to drive his point home. "Whether it is the current mission, or any that we might encounter in the future. I keep that in mind when making my decisions. It's imperative that you do exactly what I say."

"You will not risk losing an asset," Don replied, as though that was all his brothers were to him.

"An _irreplaceable_ asset," Leo stressed.

"I understand your concern," Don said. "Before this conversation, I would have said that there was a ninety-nine point ninety-eight percent chance that I would put the completion of our mission above the welfare of my siblings."

"Not a one hundred percent chance?" Leo asked with some surprise.

Don's brow lifted. "I still retain a certain sense of familial loyalty," he said. "Weighing that with what you have explained to me, I would now say the odds have shifted greatly. You do not need to concern yourself with my obedience. It is yours."

"Thank you," Leo said. "I needed to know that so I could factor it in to my plans."

"There is quite a bit more that you'll need to know," Don said, turning towards his lab. "I must begin my research."

"Wait," Leo said, catching hold of Don's arm. "We should look in on Raphael first. Master Splinter has been watching over him, but his wound should be checked."

Don's eyes went from his lab to the infirmary. "He will heal faster if he's not disturbed, but the severity of his wound does warrant more frequent attention."

Together the pair entered the infirmary to find Master Splinter seated in a chair near Raphael, a book in his hands. He closed the book and stood when his sons came into the room.

"Your brother has been resting easily," Master Splinter said, keeping his voice low. "Have the two of you had enough sleep?"

Leo glanced over at the wall clock and saw that it was just after six am, more than four hours after he'd gone to bed. "Yes Father."

"I too have slept sufficiently," Don said, bending over Raph in order to peel back the bandaging covering his wound.

Raph sighed in his sleep, his eyelids fluttering slightly as though in response to hearing Don's voice. Master Splinter moved away from his son's cot and walked towards the door, signaling that Leo should follow.

Standing just outside of the infirmary, Master Splinter said, "I am going to bed. Raphael is weak but in no danger. It is not necessary for anyone to keep a constant vigil over him."

His expression and tone were meaningful and Leo took the hint. "Don and I are going to start our research on the shaman. I can't decide on a course of action until we have a means of locating him."

Master Splinter nodded. "Clearly that must be your first step."

Before Master Splinter could leave, Leo said, "Father, I . . . I talked to Don about the concerns you expressed to me earlier. I explained to him that because he may not be privy to my entire strategy during a battle, it wouldn't be logical for him to make any moves that are counter to my commands."

A small smile creased the corners of Master Splinter's mouth. "Appealing to his intellect was a sound choice," he said, "and possibly the only route available to you. Well done, Leonardo. Please do not hesitate to wake me if my assistance becomes essential."

"I will Sensei," Leo said with a small bow. "Thank you."

Leo watched Master Splinter enter his bedroom before returning to the infirmary. Don had efficiently changed the dressing on Raph's wound and Leo was happy to see that there wasn't much blood on the old bandages.

While Don went about the business of putting away the medical supplies, Leo moved to stand next to Raph. Keeping his hands to his sides, Leo looked over Raph's sleeping form, his eyes drifting from his brother's face down to his feet, and back up again.

As always, Raph's musculature sent a wave of need through Leo's system. They were all well-built and solid, but Raphael worked harder than his brothers to tone his body and build up his muscles.

Doing so was about more than a sense of pride, something that Leo did not need to have explained to him. He knew that Raph saw himself as the powerhouse of the team, the brawn that protected his brothers.

To Leo he was much more than that, but it was Raph who imposed that role on himself. Perhaps that was part of the reason Don and Raph had grown so close. Don had always readily accepted Raph's protective nature, even joking after Raph would tell him to watch his shell that doing so was Raph's job.

With an effort, Leo shook those thoughts away as Don came over to join him. "Prognosis?" Leo asked briskly.

"Lying still is allowing his wound time to begin to close," Don said. "Raph may not view my administering a sedative as agreeable, but it has proven to be sensible."

Once again, the sound of Don's voice caused Raph to stir in his sleep. "Donny," he whispered softly, his head rolling in Don's direction.

Placing his finger to his lips, Leo indicated that they should leave and allow Raph to rest. Don pulled a light blanket over his sleeping brother before exiting the infirmary with Leo, and the brothers made their way to Don's lab.

Don immediately took a seat at his desk and opened his laptop, pushing it towards Leo. "Do a search through the local obituaries so that we can integrate those reported in the last two days into the ones I've already compiled. I will search through local governmental and medical databases to find the records for the destination and final interment details on each of the decedent's remains."

"Master Splinter said something to the effect that the shaman chooses his victims by reading their auras and determining who's suffering the most in that way," Leo said. "It means he has contact with them at some point in the process. You should only review the records on the decedents with loved ones who were attacked."

"I will limit my search to those parameters," Don said, pulling the keyboard for his desktop computer towards him. "After I input every transaction related to the interment process, I can create an algorithm which will discern any overlapping commonalities."

"I'm positive that's where we'll find our shaman," Leo said.

For nearly an hour the two worked in silence save for the clicking sound of their keyboards. Leo periodically glanced up at Don, noting the concentrated look on his brother's face. There was no sign in his expression to indicate whether Don was discovering anything helpful, another testament to Don's lack of emotion.

Don's computer screen was visible and in near constant movement, but when the scrolling of information stopped on a single page, Leo grew curious.

"Did you find something?" Leo asked.

"It seems that all of the remains were buried," Don said. "None of them was cremated. However, the final destinations were to three different cemeteries. They do not all share a common religious denomination therefore services were performed by different people. Some had elaborate rituals and others were inexpensive and simple."

"There must be something they all share," Leo said. "We'll have to keep looking. At least we've narrowed it down to three locations. Are they near each other?"

"All three are within ten miles of each other," Don said. "I may be able to ascertain additional information by studying the amulet. Do you have it?"

"Mikey still does," Leo said, remember that his brother had placed it back into his belt after showing it to him. "I can go and get it from him."

Leo started to get up and then hesitated. There was something else that he wanted to address with Don, and he preferred to do it now when there wasn't a chance they'd be interrupted.

Noticing his brother's delay, Don asked, "Have you thought of a clue?"

"No, nothing like that," Leo answered. "I had another subject I wanted to talk to you about. It's with regards to Raph. To the . . . secret you two were keeping from me."

"The relationship that Raphael and I had entered into," Don clarified.

Leo didn't fail to notice that Don had used the past tense. "Yes. I didn't know, Donny. I have to admit to being shocked and resentful when I learned of it. My behavior hasn't been altogether honorable."

"You have and still do desire Raph," Don said, his gaze unfaltering as he studied Leo. "I've been aware of that fact for almost as long as you have. Raphael was not; it was only after I spoke to him about it that he accepted the truth."

"Perhaps if I had known of it sooner I wouldn't have tried to force my affections on him yesterday," Leo said. "I acknowledged my actions to you at the time but never apologized for them. I'm doing so now. What I did was a disservice to both of you and a shameful lack of control on my part."

"Your apology is unnecessary," Don said. "Perhaps if I were able to experience emotion I would find your behavior problematic but at the moment I do not. If your apology was meant to ease your conscience, then I hope it has done so."

"Raphael loves you," Leo said quietly, verbalizing what he now knew to be true in order to find acceptance.

"Though I no longer share his emotional attachment, I am aware of the bond we had formed," Don said, once more referring to their relationship as something that had ended. "Raphael is quite passionate and I believe I have a duty to find a way to alleviate whatever he may suffer at my loss. If my soul cannot be retrieved, then I wish for the two of you to be together."

"He doesn't want that," Leo said, distressed more than he thought he would be at Don's suggestion. "He won't accept a . . . a substitute. Raph cares for you deeply."

"What he believes that he feels is not my concern," Don said decisively. "In my current state, I do not wish to have Raphael continuously trying to wring from me emotions that I cannot feel. His earlier display was a nuisance and made it more difficult for me to tend to his injury. I would much prefer that his amorous attentions be focused elsewhere."

"We're going to retrieve your soul, Donny. Debating the issue of who Raph should be with is irrelevant," Leo said with finality. "Keep working on figuring out what those burials shared and I'll get the amulet."

Don had returned to his search by the time Leo left the room. Listening to Don dismiss Raph's feelings for him was vexing in a way that Leo would not have expected.

Even though Raph had often complained that Leo had no regard for his opinions, such was not the case. There was little that Leo wouldn't do for Raph and that included mitigating his pain, whether physical or emotional.

There was no sign of Mikey as yet and the door to his room was still closed. Before going up to wake his brother, Leo decided to detour to the infirmary so that he could look in on Raph.

Raph appeared not to have moved much in the hour since Leo had last seen him. Leo hadn't really expected to see any change and had no real excuse for checking on Raph again. Though drawn to his brother, Leo knew that he was only making more misery for himself with his constant vigilance.

"I thought I'd find you in here."

Leo started, turning to acknowledge Mikey's presence with a nod. He'd been so numb to anything but Raphael that he hadn't heard Mikey enter the room.

Remaining near the door, Mikey asked, "How's Raph?"

"He seems to be okay," Leo said, keeping his voice down.

He couldn't read anything from Mikey's expression, which meant his younger brother was guarding his feelings. It was unusual for him to do that, which could only mean that Mikey was still angry with Leo.

Stepping back so as not to disturb Raph, Leo approached Mikey, noting the way his shoulders tensed. "I was on my way up to see you. Don needs the amulet for his research."

Mikey fished the object from his belt and handed it over. "Figured he might. Good thing I came down since you seemed to have decided this detour was more important than getting what Don asked for."

It was a small dig, but it was incredibly sharp. Leo winced as he felt its prick and knew that he'd left off talking to Mikey for long enough.

"I deserved that," Leo said. "Mikey, I'm so sorry. You were right to call me out on my behavior. It was unfair of me to lean so hard on you without offering anything in return. I'm trying to understand why I'm attracted to Raph and to let go of that attraction. Can you be patient with me while I work through this? I care very much about your feelings and should never have started a drama that made it seem as though you'd been pushed aside."

Shrugging, Mikey glanced down for a second before lifting his eyes to Leo's. "I'm no expert, but I guess you can't help who you have the hots for. I gotta say something, even if I know it's gonna be hard for you to hear. If Raph had been open to having a relationship with you, it probably wouldn't last. You guys aren't compatible.

"I mean sure, you're like the same turtle during a battle, but life isn't a series of fights. You gotta be able to get along with someone on a deeper level. It's why you two are always butting heads, dude. You're staying in that fight; staying in that one place where you two can communicate. And that's no way to live."

Before Leo had a chance to react to Mikey's words, he heard Raph groan. Spinning, Leo rushed to his brother's side, with Mikey right next to him.

"Are you all right?" Leo asked quickly, seeing Raph's eyes open and then close again.

Raph groaned once more, his eyes fluttering open and staying that way. "Where's Donny?"

"Don's in his lab trying to track down the shaman," Leo hook him.

"Then that's where I'm going," Raph said, throwing his blanket aside and pushing himself into a seated position.

"You should stay in bed and continue to rest," Leo said. "That's the only way you're going to heal."

Raph ignored him, rising to his feet and then swaying. Leo started to reach for him but when Mikey shook his head to discourage that move, Leo let his arms drop back to his sides.

When the room stopped spinning, Raph lunged forward, walking purposefully to Don's lab. Leo and Mikey trailed after him, knowing that it would be useless to continue to point out how ill-advised Raph's movements were.

The sound of his brothers entering the lab pulled Don's attention from his computer. He frowned at seeing Raph at the head of the procession.

"Ya' didn't have to knock me out, Donny. I would have done anything ya' told me to," Raph said without preliminaries.

"Then you should return to bed," Don replied. "The time I have to spend continuously patching you up takes away from the time I require for my research."

"I needed to see ya'," Raph said, moving close to Don. Reaching down, he cupped Don's chin and lifted it so that he could look into his brother's eyes. "I know if ya' try you'll remember ya' love me. There's no damn way anyone could rob ya' of that feeling."

Don rolled his chair backwards, pulling his chin from Raph's grasp. "The facts of the situation have not changed, Raphael. There are no longer any emotions within me. I cannot feel love, or hate, or sorrow. I feel nothing."

Leo saw Raph's hands start to shake and quickly said, "Master Splinter explained that the soul is a place within someone where the heart and mind meet and find balance. Without a soul, the mind takes full control of the body. Don's spirit is out of balance. We have the amulet and all we have to do is find a way to reverse whatever the shaman did in stealing Donatello's soul from him."

"If we are to be both accurate and realistic, we must acknowledge that it may not be possible to reverse this," Don stated coldly.

"What the hell does that mean?" Raph asked, his agitation growing. "I don't want to hear that shit, I want ya' to tell me this is gonna get fixed!"

"Raph, calm down," Leo said, stepping around his brother to block him from going for Don again. "We're doing our best to find a resolution."

"Your best? Don's sitting in here all alone trying to work this out. I don't see anybody else doing a damn thing," Raph snapped.

"I was in here with him until just a few minutes ago. Don asked for the amulet and I went out to get it from Mikey," Leo said, placing the amulet on Don's desk.

"So where are the answers?" Raph asked. "Where's the famous Leonardo game plan that's gonna bring Don back to me? Have ya' even bothered to come up with one?"

"I can't come up with a plan if I haven't any facts," Leo said.

"We can't just leave him like that!" Raph shouted in Leo's face. "Or maybe ya' think if he doesn't go back to normal that I'll turn to ya'. Is that it, Leo? Well it ain't gonna happen!"

"Stop it!" Don's sharp command startled the pair and they both turned to look at him. "That shaman may have robbed me of my emotions, but I still have my brain. If we're going to defeat him we have to do it as a team. You two need to stop fighting each other and focus on fighting him."

"Donny." Raph swallowed heavily as he said his brother's name, pushing past Leo to get to the genius. Grasping both of Don's hands in his, Raph said, "I'll make that demon put ya' right again. I swear I will."

Don looked into his brother's face, his brown eyes expressionless. "You should worry less about me and more about the nature of the shaman's power. If he draws energy from the souls he has captured, then he is currently cut off from his supply. While we have the amulet in our possession, he cannot use the souls within it, nor can they be returned. There is no guarantee that those captured souls will retain their integrity for very long outside of their host."

"That's a lot of words, Donny. What the hell does it mean?" Raph asked.

Mikey came forward, his attention directed towards Don. "It means that the souls might have an expiration date. Right, Donny?"

His brother nodded. "Essentially, yes. If we do not act quickly, we may not need to act at all."

TBC…


	13. Chapter 13

"I'm damn tired of these riddles," Raph said belligerently. "Are ya' saying that Donny's soul could _die_ inside that thing?"

"For lack of a better term, yes," Don answered, lifting the Soulcatcher amulet and examining it closely.

"How long does it have?" Raph demanded.

Pulling a magnifying glass from his desk drawer, Don said, "I have no way of knowing. That is why it is imperative that interruptions are kept to a minimum. If you begin to bleed again, I will be forced to minister to your wound. While I am doing that, all of the souls within this amulet could be dissipating. Your lack of control may signal the end of my soul."

It was a callous thing to say and something Donatello would never have thought, let alone spoken aloud, had he not had his soul snatched from him. Raph looked as though he'd been hit in the gut, the color draining from his face and his mouth falling open.

"Don did not mean that the way it sounded," Leo rushed to assure him.

"'Course he did," Raph said in a low tone. "He's just telling me the plain truth and that's what he should be doing. We may not have much else at the moment, but at least he's still being honest with me. That's why I'll always love him."

Raph was looking pointedly at Leo, as though daring him to dispute that fact. Leo had no intention of discussing the relationship between his brothers while Raph was so agitated, no matter how blatantly Raph pushed it in his face.

They had almost forgotten that Mikey was in the room until he slid an extra chair over to where Raph was standing. "How about you sit down for the rest of this discussion?" Mikey told his brother. "I'm pretty sure we'll all be able to concentrate better if we're not worried you're gonna tip over at any minute."

Scowling at his younger brother, Raph nevertheless accepted the chair, holding onto the back as he slowly sat down. Pressing a hand to his injury, Raph took a couple of deep breaths before saying, "I ain't an invalid and this ain't my first bullet wound. If ya' got some idea of leaving me out of this hunt, ya' better think again. The last time ya' went up against that guy the three of ya' and Casey all together couldn't handle him. Ya' need me."

"Yeah, maybe he'll slip and fall down in a puddle of your blood and we can capture him then," Mikey said sarcastically.

"Okay smartass, ya' got something to offer or are ya' just standing around looking for chances to pop off?" Raph asked him.

"Maybe if you'd stop barking at everyone, Leo and Don could tell us everything they've learned," Mikey said, "including anything that Master Splinter might have come up with while we were sleeping."

They glanced at Don, who was carefully studying every inch of the amulet with his magnifying glass. Since he showed no sign that he wished to participate in the discussion, Leo began the explanation.

He reviewed his conversation with Master Splinter, telling them how their father had explained the purpose of the 'soul' and where in the body it was believed to be located. Leo told them what Master Splinter had seen of Don's assailant and how they'd surmised that the man might be Native American, something that the history of the Soulcatcher amulet seemed to support.

There were two things that Leo left out when relaying his talk with Master Splinter; the first was the relationship between Raphael and Donatello, and the second was the warning about how Don might behave during a battle.

The relationship question and the way Leo felt about Raph was something to be dealt with at a later date, preferably after Don was whole again. Allowing his attraction to Raph to cloud his mind at this juncture could be tantamount to a death sentence for someone in his family.

Leo fully intended to speak to Mikey and Raph about how the lack of a soul would dictate Don's future actions because it was something of which they needed to be aware. He would wait until they were out of earshot of Donatello though. The genius did not need to know how he'd been manipulated into following Leo's commands without question. Perhaps Don had guessed that for himself, but he wasn't going to receive a verbal confirmation of that fact.

"Master Splinter said that he didn't sense a malicious intent from the shaman during his attack on Don," Leo said. "He thinks that the man may not mean to cause harm; that he may believe he's helping people who are in pain."

"Ya' don't help someone by attacking them," Raph said. "That's warped."

"But maybe he thinks they were offering themselves to him," Mikey said.

"Offering how?" Leo asked with a frown.

"Look, everyone he's attacked were out in the open, right? He doesn't go inside anyone's home to get at them. So maybe he wanders around waiting to see if they'll come out. When they do, he probably thinks they are coming to him to have their pain taken from them. Like, they're giving him permission. Maybe even releasing their soul to him. When Don and I went after him the first time it was pretty clear that what we wanted was for him to let go of his victim, not that we had a particular interest in _him_ ," Mikey said.

Leo picked up his train of thought. "The second time Don was alone when he jumped the shaman. If Master Splinter is correct, the shaman could see that there was a huge difference in Don's aura. He could see that Don was in pain."

"He might have thought Don was offering his soul," Mikey said. "But you know what? He didn't grab Don the same way he grabbed the guy in the alley. I don't mean grab, I mean the way he was holding him."

"The shaman used a sleeper hold on Don," Leo said. He glanced at the turtle in question, who was tapping away on his keyboard and apparently uninterested in the conversation. "He choked the man in the alley to death. Both are choke holds."

"I know, but listen," Mikey said excitedly. "When Donny hacked into the police department and got the incident reports from the other victims, I read them. He held all of them the same way; one arm across the chest and one hand on their throat. I'll bet he would have held Don the same way except Don's a lot stronger than any human victim."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Raph grumbled.

"For one thing its proof he's not trying to kill his victims," Leo said thoughtfully. "An arm across their chest keeps his victim's arms pinned and one hand on the throat keeps their head back and mouth open."

"When they start to gasp for air, he takes his hand off their throat and grabs the amulet thingy," Mikey said. "Their mouths are still open and he sucks the soul right out of them."

"So 'cause he didn't have Don's arms pinned, it gave the genius here a chance to snatch that amulet off his neck," Raph mused, following his brothers' reasoning.

"Exactly," Leo agreed. "It's also proof that he knows who these people are, that he's actually _seen_ them before. There are other people around when he attacks his victim and surely some of them are in emotional pain as well. His targets have all been people who have suffered a loss. Don determined that every one of the deceased were buried, not cremated."

"Were they buried in the same place?" Mikey asked.

"No," Don said, finally joining the conversation, "but there are only three cemeteries involved. All three are near each other."

"So the guy moves between those three cemeteries," Mikey said. "We've just gotta figure out what he does there."

Leo had a sudden idea. "Mikey, if Master Splinter described the shaman to you, do you think you could make a sketch of him?"

"No sweat," Mikey said. "With enough info I can make a wanted poster of the guy."

"What are ya' thinking?" Raph asked, staring at Leo.

"If we have a picture, April and Casey could go to those cemeteries during the day and see if whoever is in charge recognizes the man," Leo said.

"What happens if they stumble across the shaman himself? Ya' know Casey will try to tackle him on his own," Raph said.

"That's why April needs to be with him," Leo said. "They need to know not to give anything away to the guy. If he's spooked, he could pack up and leave the city and we'd never find him again."

"He's not going anywhere," Mikey said with assurance. "Not without his amulet."

"So we track him down, beat the crap out of him, and force him to put Don's soul back where it belongs," Raph said. "If that Brittany chick's soul is in that amulet still, he can put hers back too."

"How do you propose we do that? Do you have a stash of Kryptonite?" Mikey asked. "He's super strong and he has super speed."

"Possibly not," Don said, turning in his chair to look at his brothers. "The source of his power may be contained within this amulet. I am beginning to believe that there is a certain symbiosis between the original soul host and the shaman. He removes the source of their suffering and thereby acquires the energy needed to supply himself with unnatural gifts. It's possible that the soul is something of a drug to him, and without his 'fix' he may experience withdrawals."

"Just like any other druggie, that'd mean he'd get weaker," Raph said.

"And more desperate," Mikey added.

The sound of Don's printer offering up a prize stopped them from talking. Reaching into the tray, Don extracted several pages and spread them on his desk.

"These are images of the Tsimshian Indians," Don explained. "Ask Master Splinter to examine them so we may learn if this shaman is like them in appearance. All Soulcatcher amulets are purported to have been constructed by this tribe. The one that I pulled from the shaman's neck is very old."

The photos that Don had printed were of varying ages, some dating back over a hundred years, some taken within the last five years. He had chosen images that depicted men of the Tsimshian tribe, since the gender of the shaman was not in question.

After looking at the photos, Leo glanced up at Don. "What's your next step?"

"I should conduct a search of city census records to ascertain how many members of the tribe might reside here," Don said. "That would be helpful if April and Casey obtain a name for our shaman. Of more importance would be information on the ceremony surrounding the use of the Soulcatcher amulet. I will need to find not only historical information and firsthand accounts, but also any lore regarding shaman. If this man is using the trapped souls for their energy, we must learn if there is a way to defeat him."

"Then I guess I should grab my sketch pad and get with Master Splinter so we can come up with a head shot of the shaman," Mikey said.

"You'll have to wait a while on that," Leo said. "Master Splinter was up all night, he only went to bed a couple of hours ago."

"Then I'll make us some breakfast," Mikey said, glancing meaningfully at Leo before getting Raph's attention. "You can eat in bed, Raph. I'll even hand deliver your plate."

"How about I prop my feet up in here? Maybe I can help Donny with something," Raph said.

"No." Don flatly nixed that suggestion. "You would be too tempted to move about or to talk to me and I don't need the distraction. Lying down is more advantageous to the healing process."

"Okay fine," Raph said in a resigned tone, "only not in the infirmary, I'm sick of that place. I'll sleep in my own damn bed."

Leo thought he could hear a touch of distress in Raph's voice and guessed that Don's seeming brush-off was painful to his brother. He wanted to say something to remind Raph that Don wasn't himself; that he didn't mean to come across so cold, but that wouldn't have been accurate. Don did mean his words just as they sounded because this was his new reality.

"I'll go fix up something hot to eat then," Mikey said, leaving the room without a backwards glance.

Placing a hand on the corner of Don's desk as leverage, Raph stood up. Leo stepped back to give him room, knowing not to ask if Raph wanted help going upstairs. With one final look at Don, which wasn't returned, Raph made his exit.

Leo remained where he was, certain that Raph would not want anyone to watch over him as he climbed the stairs.

"Did you need my help with anything, Donny?" Leo asked his brother, who was scrolling through pages of text at an incredible speed.

"Yes. Please see that I am left to do my research in peace," Don told him. "It is difficult to concentrate with these continuous intrusions."

"I'll arrange that as much as is possible," Leo replied. "Nothing unnecessary."

Don didn't look at him as he said, "I'll decide what is necessary."

Since there was no point in arguing with him, Leo gathered up the pictures he'd printed out and left with them.

Feeling out of sorts, Leo walked through the lair with no real destination in mind. After a full circuit, he found that his feet had decided to take him to the kitchen. As soon as Leo entered and saw Mikey preparing eggs, a comforting warmth settled over him.

This was normal. There was a certain serene peace in watching Michelangelo perform such a simple, everyday function as cooking a meal. Some of the anxiety began to seep from Leo's bones and he took a seat at the table. While he flipped through the photos, Leo occasionally glanced up to observe his younger brother.

"Kind of surreal, isn't it?" Mikey remarked without turning around.

"What's that?" Leo asked, setting the photos down on the table.

"Don acting like a robot and Raph with such a whipped look on his face," Mikey answered. "There's nothing like thinking you might be losing the love of your life to take the wind out of your sails."

"We're going to return Don's soul to his body, where it belongs," Leo said, striving to sound more confident than he felt. "We've beaten worse odds than this."

"Are you sure that you want to?" Mikey asked, casting a quick look over his shoulder before turning back to the range.

Leo stared at his brother's shell, a quick flutter in his heart rate leaving him silent for a moment. Finally he said, "Of course I want to. Donatello is my brother and it's my obligation to look after him."

"Just an obligation, Leo? Is that all Don and I are to you, a duty that you have to perform?" Mikey asked.

There was very little inflection in Mikey's voice, so it was hard for Leo to tell where his brother's emotions lay. "It is my duty to protect all three of you, Mikey. It's my duty as a leader and older brother. It also just so happens that you're my family and I love all of you."

"Not equally though, right?" Mikey asked. He walked over to a cupboard and took down a plate, grabbing a fork from a drawer before returning to the range. "It would probably be helpful if you spent some time thinking about the bigger picture here."

"If you mean I should step back from my emotions, I'm trying to do that," Leo insisted. "It's not an easy, cut and dried process."

"Never said it would be," Mikey said, walking over to the table with a large omelet on the plate. "Here, take this up to Raph."

"I thought you told him you'd bring his breakfast," Leo said with some surprise.

Mikey shrugged. "I can't be in two places at once. I ought to make something for Don to eat too. Besides, you and Raph need to reach some kind of understanding before we go into a battle with this supernatural Harry Potter wanna-be. When I say understanding I mean talk, don't fight."

Leo gazed into his brother's face, looking for a hint as to Mikey's motivations. Mikey looked back at him, his expression revealing nothing at all.

With a sigh, Leo got up and took the plate from his brother. "All right. I'll take his food to him and try to talk."

"I rolled all his favorite things into that omelet," Mikey said. "Get him to take a couple of bites first, he'll be in a better mood. And no, I won't bother Donny other than to shove a plate under his nose. As I leave the lab I'll remind him that machines run on fuel."

If Mikey's appearance didn't give away his feelings, the sarcasm he'd been spreading around all morning did. Despite the apology Leo had made earlier, Mikey's pique was unrelenting. Leo remembered one of Master Splinter's lessons about words; how they were meaningless unless followed by appropriate action. Platitudes weren't going to satisfy Michelangelo, he needed to see Leo making a real effort to push aside his desire for Raphael.

Heading upstairs, Leo told himself to stop trying to decide what he'd say to Raph and just let the words come naturally. Raph had said earlier that one of the reasons he loved Don was because of his honesty. If the unadulterated truth was what Raph needed, then Leo would try to give him that.

Raph's bedroom door was slightly ajar when Leo got there, so he tapped on it and then pushed it all of the way open. The room was dark, but it was still easy to see that it was also empty.

Frowning, Leo backed out and looked down the hallway towards the bathroom. The door stood open and there were no sounds coming from within, so he knew Raph wasn't there. A sudden hunch sent Leo to Donatello's room.

That door was also partially closed and rather than knocking, Leo eased the door open slowly. Right away he spotted Raph seated on Don's bed holding one of the genius' pillows to his face.

"Raph?" Leo asked gently, his tone laced with concern.

His brother lifted his head but continued to hug the pillow. In a low voice he said, "His scent is on the pillow. Makes me remember the good times. We used to share this bed. Ya' guys never knew. Don would set an alarm so we wouldn't oversleep. Gave me time to sneak out so nobody would catch us together. Hated that. Always wanted to stay in bed with him."

Leo entered the room, shutting the door behind him. If he and Raph had been together, Leo knew he'd feel exactly the same way. Having to leave your lover's bed, never knowing when you'd be able to share it again; that had to be rough.

"Mikey sent me up with your breakfast," Leo said, walking over to set the plate on the nightstand. "You should eat it while it's hot. He's making an omelet for Don too and he's going to make sure he eats."

There was no response from Raph, whose eyes had a faraway look in them. Rather than leave, Leo moved to a spot in the room that was directly in front of his brother and sat down on the throw rug.

Raph blinked, obviously not expecting Leo to do that. "Gonna watch me eat now?" he asked.

Leo swallowed the automatic "do I need to" that would have been his normal response to an inflammatory question such as that. Mikey had told him to talk not fight, so Leo meant to choose his words carefully.

"No," Leo said. "If you're hungry you'll eat. Mikey made it for you specifically, so you know what's in it."

"'A good mood through food'. That's Mikey's motto," Raph said, still appearing withdrawn. "Must be nice to have such a simple outlook on life."

For some reason Leo felt compelled to defend his younger brother. "Sometimes I think we're the ones who have it wrong, not Mikey. We . . . overcomplicate things that don't need to be that confusing."

"I expect so," Raph said in agreement. He pushed the pillow off of his lap and leaned over to grab the plate, staring at the omelet for a second before picking up the fork.

Leo remained quiet as Raph cut off a section of the omelet and transferred it to his mouth. It was hard not to simply stare at his brother's lips while he ate because they fascinated him, but then he found most things about Raph to be fascinating.

Raph hadn't eaten even half of the omelet before he set the plate aside, pushing it far back on the nightstand.

"Is there something wrong with the eggs?" Leo asked.

"No. I found out I ain't that hungry," Raph answered.

"You should still eat to keep up your strength," Leo said.

Rubbing a hand across his face, Raph let it drop to his lap and sighed. "I'm tired of all this, Leo. We ain't even out of our teens and we've been through more than most people experience in two lifetimes. I don't know if I can keep doing it."

It was rare to see Raph in this kind of mood and even rarer still that he was willing to talk about it with Leo. "You always do," Leo said softly. "We all do. Somewhere inside we find the strength to keep going until we work our way back to the top."

"I do that 'cause of Donny," Raph said. "He makes things better for me. He always has. Even when I'm being a royal asshole he puts up with my shit in that mild mannered way of his, makes me stop ranting mid-sentence 'cause I start to feel foolish. Then he just flat calls me on my crap and suddenly I'm seeing things straight again. How the fuck am I supposed to go on without him?"

Raph was staring at Leo as he asked the question. He looked more than desperate; he looked lost. He looked like he was drowning.

"Tell me about how it all began," Leo requested. "When did you first know you were attracted to Don as more than a brother? How did you two become partners?"

"You don't want to hear that shit," Raph said with a grimace. "I know how ya' feel about me, Leo. What's the point of torturing yourself with how Donny and I got together?"

"It's because I do care about you that I want you to talk to me about that," Leo explained. "If it helps, pretend I'm asking the question from a team leader point of view. Surely Master Splinter expressed his concern in that regard when he found out the two of you were together."

Raph inhaled deeply before releasing the breath in a tolerant exhale. "I suppose that's fair. Master Splinter did tells us we'd have to prove to ya' that we could work together the way we always have. We've been doing that too, Leo. It's been more than a year and ya' didn't know how our feelings for each other had changed."

"A . . . year?" Leo asked, mentally struggling to comprehend the length of time his brothers had managed to hide their love affair.

A corner of Raph's mouth lifted, a small amount of amusement slipping past his pain. "Never had a clue, did ya'? Can't really say how it started except that I got to a point where I just wanted to hang out with Donny. Even going out with Casey didn't sound like as much fun as doing stuff with Don, even if it was him dragging me to some damn junkyard to collect crap. He's just so _optimistic_. Everything to Don is exciting, everything he comes across is a new chance to learn things.

"The enthusiasm rubbed off on me, made me start to see the world from his point of view and it was a hell of a lot nicer view, let me tell ya'. His projects started to be my projects too and I liked having something positive come from the work I put into it. All of that was a lot better than beating down some gang member only to see his sorry ass back on the street the very next night."

"No need for anger," Leo responded softly, starting to understand.

Raph gave him a surprised look. "Exactly. All of that anger and frustration, all of the bile that ate at my stomach over the shit we deal with, it's all gone when I'm with Donny. Can't really swear to what he gets from being with me other than what he says. He told me that his head is a lonely place 'cause no one understands how loud it is in there. He says when he's with me my voice is the only one he hears and that gives him peace. Never figured Don for the poetic type, but I knew what he was talking about. We're the same that way.

"The physical stuff just kind of happened without us really thinking about it. One day we're working together on something and I just had this urge to lean over and kiss him. So I went with my instincts. Shocked the living shit out of him but he didn't sock me one or run away. So, I ain't gonna go into details over our sex life, but it grew from there until we started having one."

He grew quiet then, looking down as though his thoughts were far away. Leo watched him, his own emotions tumbling over themselves. One thing he did realize was that his attraction to Raph had always been very physical. At no point had he thought about how they would be as a couple outside of the bedroom.

What Raph had just described to him was true love, a togetherness that hadn't been built on physical attraction in its beginning. Leo's mindset wasn't like Donatello's, he couldn't give Raph the things that he needed in order to find serenity.

"I'm happy for you," Leo finally whispered.

Raph looked up with a frown. "Ya' are?"

"Yes," Leo told him with a nod. "I won't lie about how I felt . . . feel about you. I now understand something that Mikey said about the two of us. From a relationship standpoint, we aren't compatible. In a battle, the two of us working together are nearly impossible to beat. It's because we're of the same mindset, which is great in a fight, but not very balanced in an intimate partnership."

"And here I thought ya' liked surly and uncooperative," Raph said with a hint of humor.

Leo had to snort his amusement in response. "Not so much. I suppose that for most of us that would be an epiphany. I guess we only learn about ourselves if we really want to."

Raph leaned forward a little, looking with hard intent into Leo's eyes. "What ya' said about us working together in a fight is why I have to go with ya' when ya' track down that shaman. Deep down inside ya' know ya' ain't gonna beat him without me."

"If you were at a hundred percent I wouldn't dispute that for a second," Leo said. "How can I justify bringing you into this kind of a fight when you can't even lift one arm properly?"

"Then I'll stand on the sidelines and distract the guy, but ya' ain't leaving me behind," Raph insisted. "If ya' know me at all, ya' know I'm right. I'll finish this omelet and I'll crawl under Don's blanket to sleep until ya' tell me it's time to go. Don't try to take off without me either, 'cause I'll know and I'll follow ya'. Would ya' rather read me in on the plans, or have me just show up?"

Leo did know him and did know that Raph would find a way to track them because he was, at heart, a fighter. It was a trait that Leo had always counted on and knew that he was going to need.

Standing up, Leo said, "I suppose we could wrap something tight around your chest to bind that wound. The more rest you get, the better. I'll come back for the plate later."

"Good," Raph said. "Hey, let me know if . . . if Don asks for me, okay?"

Pausing at the door, Leo said, "I will. We're going to make him whole again, Raph. You have my word on that."

Raph almost managed a full smile. "Thanks for saying that out loud. It helps."

Pulling the door shut behind him, Leo moved forward so that he could look out over the lair. By all outward appearances everything was quiet, belying the turmoil the family was currently facing.

The chaos of Leo's feelings were slowly easing though. His talk with Raph had proven to him that his brother was very much in love with Donatello. That truth left no room for Leo's daydreams and he had to accept it.

Leo had made a promise to return Don to his brother and he meant to keep it no matter what. He owed both of them that much. When they were back together then Leo would work through any lingering feelings he might harbor and find a way to live with them so that they didn't effect Raph and Don's happiness.

It was just as well that he remain alone. He was the leader after all.

TBC…..


	14. Chapter 14

After leaving Raphael in Donatello's room, Leonardo bypassed the kitchen and took his restlessness into the dojo.

Working out helped to ease the tension of the waiting game. There was nothing he could do for the time being, so he practiced his ninjitsu. Don would be deep in his research, Master Splinter and Raph were sleeping, and Michelangelo . . . .

Leo found that his thoughts skittered away whenever they touched on his younger brother. That Mikey was displeased by the status quo was clear from the things he'd already expressed to Leo.

There was more to it than that though; Mikey seemed to be deeply unhappy about something and Leo wasn't sure how to get him to talk about it. Leo wasn't actually certain that he wanted to know.

Time mattered little to Leo when he was practicing. At some point he sensed another presence and paused to glance towards the doorway. Mikey stood there looking at him, his expression difficult to read. They stared at one another for a long moment before Mikey backed out of the room without a word.

Sheathing his swords, Leo remained where he was, breathing hard due to the intensity of his workout. After a few minutes of indecision, he set his mouth in a resolute line and marched out to track Mikey down.

His brother was not in the main part of the lair nor was he in the kitchen. Leo paused at the doorway to Don's lab and listened, hearing nothing but the clicking sound of a keyboard.

Looking upstairs, Leo saw that Mikey's door was open and a light was on. Taking the stairs two at a time on silent feet, Leo came to a stop at the entrance to Mikey's bedroom.

Mikey was on his knees digging around in a large plastic tub. Leo could normally gauge Mikey's moods based on his demeanor and appearance, but at the moment he couldn't tell a thing. It was as though his younger brother was purposely hiding himself away.

"I'm getting out my art supplies," Mikey said, having spotted Leo from the corner of his eye. "Sensei will probably be up in a little while."

Leo stepped into the room, closing the door so that the sound of their voices wouldn't wake Raph. "I thought you always kept your art things out where you could get to them."

Mikey shrugged. "I haven't felt much like creating anything for a couple of months."

"Art block?" Leo asked, though he didn't really understand what the term meant.

"Something like that," Mikey said, glancing at his brother. He picked up the sketch book and art pencils that he'd set on the floor and carried them to his bed, putting them down before taking a seat. "You here for a reason?"

It wasn't a cordial question but Leo was determined to ignore the attitude. "I wanted to tell you that Raph and I talked. He's in Don's bed and hopefully he's sleeping."

"I didn't hear any yelling coming from the two of you, so I guess that's a good sign," Mikey said.

"It was a good talk," Leo acknowledged. "I'm thinking we should talk too, Mikey. A real talk."

Mikey's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Go ahead and talk," he said. "I'll listen."

Taking a deep breath, Leo said, "I've made a fool of myself. I let my attraction to Raph control my behavior and that in turn hurt _all_ of my brothers. I have no right to play favorites and certainly no right to believe that what I think I want should supplant what the three of you need. Raph and Don have something real, something that's built on a solid foundation. I'm going to make sure that they hold onto that."

"Why?" Mikey asked, surprising his brother.

Frowning, Leo said, "Because they deserve happiness."

"No one _gives_ you happiness, Leo. It's not candy," Mikey said. "You have to search for it and then you have to earn it. Don't you think they've done that?"

"Of course I do," Leo said. "What are you driving at?"

"You talk like you're being some generous lord giving them permission to be together, dude. They're already together and they don't need your nod of approval. They need your understanding and that's all. Oh, and right now they need you to kick that shaman's butt and get Don's soul back," Mikey said.

"I thought that's what I just said I was going to do," Leo said, frowning.

"What you said was that you've decided to be a martyr and wallow in the fact that you can't have Raph," Mikey told him. "You're gonna watch Donny and him walk off into the sunset holding hands while you fall on your sword, not like literally bro', figuratively. Then you're gonna act all noble about it, shut everyone out of your life, and only talk to us when there's work to be done."

Leo lifted his eye ridges in bewilderment. "You got all of that out of my admitting I acted like a fool?"

" _Acting_ like a fool," Mikey stressed. "You're still doing it. The whole world is full of people who don't get to have the person they wish they could be with. They deal with it and move on."

"Move on how, Mikey?" Leo asked, feeling a tightness in his chest. "By eventually finding someone else to love? There's a giant likelihood of that happening in this instance, isn't there?"

"A butt load of them don't ever find that certain someone," Mikey said, his blue eyes flashing. "Maybe they don't bother to look ever again, maybe they ignore the chances that do present themselves, or maybe they just weren't gonna find someone compatible. Maybe they're in the kind of situation we're in where their lifestyles don't offer too many options. There's lots of reasons that someone is alone, but they don't all shut themselves off from the friends and family they do have."

"You seem certain that's what I intend to do," Leo said.

"What was the first thought that entered your head when you finished your talk with Raph?" Mikey asked.

Leo should have been used to the way Mikey's mind could shift so suddenly, but it still took him a moment to understand why his brother had asked that question.

The way Mikey's eyes were burrowing into him made Leo realize that lying or even just avoiding the question wouldn't do. Not if he hoped to fix things with Mikey.

"That I owed it to Raph to get Don back to him in one piece," Leo said. "That I'm the leader and I shouldn't have idealistic ties to anyone."

Mikey snorted. "Idealistic. Why don't you say what you mean? You think you shouldn't have the hots for anyone 'cause then you might play favorites. You were more than willing to forget that stuff if Raph had offered you a piece of _his_ ass. You don't have to be alone just 'cause you're the leader, Leo. You just have to compartmentalize."

"I'll remember that for my next lifetime," Leo said. "In this one it's pretty cut and dried that I won't have to worry about favoritism becoming a problem."

"Let me break out the violins," Mikey said sarcastically.

Something in his demeanor as much as the sarcasm made Leo remember what Mikey had said to him the day before. "You are not the throw away brother, Mikey. You're important to all of us."

"Important but not vital," Mikey said, as if to clarify that. "The goofy one who talks too much and doesn't focus. You've got the leader role down pat, Raph's the muscle, and Don's the brains. Not much to me other than cooking and art." He grabbed his sketch book and pencils and stood up. "Speaking of which, I'm betting Master Splinter is up now and wondering where everyone is. I'll go tackle him and see if we can't get a good mug shot of this shaman dude."

"Mikey wait," Leo said, feeling a sudden sense of unease. "There is more to you, so much more, and I depend on you in ways I doubt I've ever really thought about. You don't make me _have_ to think about them because I know you'll always be there."

Pausing at the door, Mikey looked at him, raw pain visible in his expression. "Yeah I will. Whatever happens, I'll keep on trucking on. Good old dependable me. Leonardo's own personal lap dog."

Mikey was gone before Leo could respond to that. Somehow his conversation with his youngest brother had left him feeling more despondent than the one he'd had with Raphael. Leo could handle his own internal anguish, but seeing that same pain reflected in Michelangelo's face left him feeling helpless.

His brother needed something from Leo, some assurance that he was important, and Leo had fallen short of providing that to him. Mikey gave so much; his support, his humor, his insight, his loyalty, his innate wisdom, and his many talents. He shone when Leo most needed the light in order to make his way. What did Mikey ever really ask for in return?

It was one thing to feel a desire for Raph and then discard it because his brother was already spoken for, quite another to face the concept that Mikey had lost respect for him. Before now, Leo had never examined how much Mikey's opinion meant to him. It came as something of a shock to know that it meant quite a lot.

Leo took hold of himself after a quick glance at Mikey's bedside clock. Time was passing and there were things that needed to be done.

Leaving Mikey's room, Leo proceeded downstairs, noting that Mikey and Master Splinter were seated next to each other on the couch. Mikey's sketchbook was open on his lap and he was hard at work capturing the shaman's features from their father's description of the man.

Stepping into the kitchen so that he wouldn't disturb anyone, Leo used his shell cell to place a call to April O'Neil. He asked if she and Casey could come by after she had closed up her shop for the day. As usual April didn't waste time with questions that she knew he'd answer later, so she simply said yes and offered to pick up pizza on the way over. Leo accepted, wanting to give Mikey a break from the self-imposed chore of preparing their meals.

With that done, Leo quietly entered Don's lab to learn if his brother had anything new to report.

Don's eyes were fixed on his computer screen and he didn't look away from it until Leo was standing next to him. "April and Casey will be here around seven," Leo said. "Master Splinter is providing Mikey with a description of the shaman, and Raph's sleeping. In your room."

"He is welcome to it as I will not be needing it anytime soon," Don said. "There is a voluminous amount of lore regarding shaman. Sorting through it and applying what we have learned to the information at hand will take some time."

Don turned partway in his seat to look up at Leo, as though to stress his next point. "Since we now know that the shaman does have spiritual power and that the amulet works, it is not a far-fetched notion that this man may have actually entered the spirit world to acquire his energy. Many shaman learn their craft through an initiation process, one which requires they cross over into the underworld itself or that they must become deathly ill in order to understand sickness. If this man actually died during his initiation, then what we are dealing with is one of the undead."

"That would make him what? A zombie?" Leo asked.

His brother grimaced. "That is too broad and too commercialized a term. By undead in this instance, I am speaking of someone who may have lost his own soul when he crossed into the underworld yet somehow made it back from there. Because of his hunger for souls, my educated guess is that he acquired another soul during its journey to the afterlife and rode it out of wherever is colloquially termed as Hell."

Leo's eyes narrowed as he worked to follow Don's explanation. "That borrowed soul would then burn out because it wasn't fitted to him specifically, correct?"

"Yes," Don said. "It explains why the shaman needs to collect other souls. They sustain him. It may also explain why he needs to believe he has been given permission to take a person's soul. Causing harm is in direct divergence to the inherent reasons he became a shaman in the first place."

"If we take too long to locate him, he may die," Leo said, "and your soul might do so as well. If we find him and can't defeat him, he'll use your soul to grow stronger and we might not be able to get it back from him. If that happens, he probably won't remain in the city long enough to give us another chance."

"If we locate him and he refuses to return my soul, we will have to kill him and accept that my soul is gone," Don said. "There is always the chance that he can find another amulet and start over. We must not let him escape, no matter what happens."

"Too many ifs," Leo said. "I don't like going into a fight with that many unknowns hanging over our heads. I need solid knowledge in order to formulate some sort of plan."

"That is logical," Don said. "Since it is clear to me that no amount of research is going to tell us how to operate the amulet, we know that we must rely on the shaman to do so. He will have to be coerced."

"The best coercion I've found is to threaten to take someone's life," Leo said. "That begs the question; how do you kill someone who is already dead?"

"Fire," Don said. "That appears to be the universally accepted way to destroy someone who has chosen to pursue the dark arts."

"So somehow we find him, trap him, and threaten to burn him if he doesn't return your soul and all of the others he's stolen," Leo said. "Since Raph insists on going on this chase with us, the best way to prevent him from becoming a liability is to have him be the keeper of the flame. The shaman won't dare go near him."

"Have you arranged yet to be Raph's lover if I should not be able to retrieve my soul?" Don asked.

The question came so abruptly that Leo was left slack jawed for a full minute. "We've already discussed this and I told you that Raph doesn't want a replacement for you, he wants _you_. I've talked to him and know from our conversation that I wouldn't be happy as a substitute. You may not feel for him what you did when you had a soul, but the depth of his feeling for you won't diminish."

"That is unfortunate," Don said. "I suppose I shall be forced to employ boorish tactics to disabuse him of any notion that he can set my nonexistent passions aflame."

Leo wasn't sure what Don had in mind, but he _was_ sure it would greatly upset Raph. "How about we agree that you won't begin that sort of campaign until we're absolutely certain we can't return you to normal? For the sake of fairness."

"If you mean that in the sense that the chances for the return of my soul are neither excellent nor poor, then I will accept your concept of fairness," Don said. "I do expect, should this mission prove to be unsuccessful, that you will take some time to consider both mine and Raphael's future."

"I will," Leo lied, maintaining a straight face as he did so. There was no way he could think about failure knowing the irreparable damage that would be done to his family if Donatello wasn't made whole again.

From his brother's expression, Leo wasn't sure that Don was buying the lie. Mikey's abrupt appearance saved Leo from making anymore false assurances.

"Saw you duck in here," Mikey said, looking at Leo as he entered the lab. "I've got the drawing. Just remember, this is what Master Splinter saw in Don's mind, so it's not gonna be exact. I left the cape off of him 'cause he probably doesn't wear it when he's not playing Soulcatcher."

Mikey handed the sketch to Leo who held it out for Don to see. It depicted a man with a rounded face, high cheekbones, almond shaped dark eyes, a wide nose, and dark hair. His ears were rather large but close to his head, and there was a mark just beneath the hollow of his neck.

"This doesn't look like a tattoo," Leo said, pointing at the mark. "If it's a birthmark it's a very odd shape."

"Master Splinter said he meditated on what he saw and he thinks that's a scar," Mikey said. "See how ragged the edges look? Sensei said it almost looked like something burst out of him right at that spot."

"His soul maybe?" Leo asked, glancing at Don. "You said the shaman may have lost his soul during his initiation trip into the underworld. Maybe it was yanked out of him by some malevolent entity and that's the trauma that both killed him and forced him to steal another soul to reanimate himself."

"Whoa, time out," Mikey said, looking at each of his brothers in turn, his eyes wide. "Killed? Reanimated? Is the shaman a zombie?"

"Don doesn't approve of the word zombie," Leo said quickly, hoping to stem the tide of Mikey's imagination. "We have to be prepared for the fact that he may indeed be undead."

"That means we gotta aim for his head," Mikey said. "Stab him in the head, or cut off his head, or do both and then burn him up. After he gives us Donny's soul."

"We were just discussing that same thing. Whatever happens once we track him down, he can't be allowed to get away from us," Leo said. "There are probably other amulets that will serve his purpose and he'd just start over again somewhere far from here."

While the three of them talked, Leo's eyes had been on Mikey's drawing. Something about it seemed familiar.

"The city census records were not overly helpful," Don said. "The last estimate on the number of people who were of Tsimshian descent was recorded at four hundred and sixty-five, but that was from more than fifty years ago. After that point the census bureau changed its form to ask a more generalized race question with regards to peoples of Native American descent. Still, I doubt that the population is overly large."

"A group that small would probably try to stay near each other in one part of the city," Mikey said. "If April and Casey can't track him down at the cemeteries, they could start asking questions in whatever neighborhoods those old census records listed the Tsimshian group as living."

Suddenly Leo realized what it was about the drawing that struck a memory chord. "Mikey, those pictures that Don printed out, are they still in the kitchen?"

"No, I dropped them back in here when I brought Don his breakfast," Mikey answered.

Don picked them up from the corner of his desk and handed them to Leo, who spread the pictures out on the desktop. With growing excitement, he shuffled the pictures, placing them in chronological order.

"You have a magnifying glass and a grease pencil, don't you Donny?" Leo asked.

"Of course," Don said, taking the glass and a red pencil from his desk drawer.

Leo set Mikey's drawing down and then studied each of the pictures through the magnifying glass, circling one man in each image. "You won't believe this," Leo said, straightening up and handing the glass to Mikey. "Look at the men I've circled, and then look at your drawing."

Stepping up next to Leo, Mikey bent down to examine the pictures as his brother instructed. "It's the same guy!" Mikey exclaimed, passing the magnifying glass over to Don.

"The first image is dated eighteen fifty-four, the second nineteen hundred seven, and the third nineteen fifty-three," Leo said.

Don touched a fingertip to Mikey's drawing. "Add this year to that list, and that would make our shaman one hundred and sixty-one years old."

"He doesn't look a day over thirty-five in any of those pictures," Mikey said. "You notice his clothes cover his neck in every one of these, don't you?"

"Purposely I'm sure," Leo said. "Don, could you blow up this one of him from nineteen fifty-three?"

"A head shot only?" Don asked rhetorically. "There will be some loss of resolution, but it will still be a serviceable image."

"Good. Do that and make a couple of copies of it and Mikey's drawing. April and Casey can each have a set. Tonight we can go over to the junkyard and give some copies to the Professor. He and his friends get around, I'm sure they'll be happy to check out a few neighborhoods once we know where to send them."

"I will compile that information while we wait for April and Casey to arrive," Don said.

"They're coming over? Why didn't you tell me? I need to start cooking," Mikey said excitedly.

"No you don't," Leo told him, setting a calming hand on his brother's shoulder. "April offered to pick up pizza and I accepted. You deserve a break."

Mikey gave him an odd look. "Don't know what I'll do with the extra time."

That was another clue to Mikey's state of mind. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to tackle one of his hobbies.

"Spar with me," Leo offered. "We can burn off some excess energy."

When Mikey didn't say anything, Leo thought he was going to be turned down. After glancing at Don, who had returned to his work, Mikey finally said, "Okay. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stretch my muscles."

After a short while in the dojo, some of the old carefree Michelangelo began to return. He enthusiastically entered into hand-to-hand combat with Leo, giving his older brother a run for his money.

Sparring against a Mikey who was so motivated was pure joy. When Leo fought against Don it was a matter of placing his brother into a position where he had to choose from several defensive options, and then attacking before Don could sort them all out.

Competitions against Raph were a war of stamina, speed, and lightning fast reflexes. They were so evenly matched that it often came down to which of them best executed their own particular fighting style that day.

Mikey however, was a challenge. Even when he wasn't focused his agility, athleticism, and unpredictability made defeating him difficult. When Mikey brought concentrated intensity into the fight, it took every bit of Leo's skill to keep up with him and the turtle leader found that exhilarating.

For a few hours the pair were locked into a peaceful cocoon of their own making. It was only the chiming of the clock that reminded them they were due to have company.

Knowing it would be the last bout of the day, Leo was determined to make it a good one. He and Mikey had both slipped out of each other's holds a number of times, but Mikey had just landed a backflip, his body turned in an awkward direction.

Taking advantage of the slipup, Leo launched himself at his brother, ready to slide an arm around his chest and throw him to the mat. Just as he reached Mikey, the younger turtle dropped into a shoulder roll and took Leo's legs out from under him.

Hitting the ground on his carapace, Leo's first instinct was to regain his feet. Before he could do that, Mikey was on top of him, pinning Leo's wrists to the mat with his hands. Mikey straddled Leo's thighs, making it difficult for the older turtle to move his legs.

"Gotcha," Mikey said, leaning over his brother with a triumphant grin.

Leo had to laugh. He'd tried moving his arms but found that Mikey was stronger than he remembered. Tapping the mat with the backs of his fingers, Leo said, "I yield. That was a tricky move, Michelangelo."

"They don't call me the Master Mikester for nothing," Mikey said.

"And who exactly is it that calls you that?" Leo asked humorously.

"Oh you know, everybody who's anybody," Mikey answered lightly.

"You'd better count me out of that group," Leo told him, smiling.

"What would you rather call me?" Mikey asked, lowering himself so that he was much closer to Leo. His grin had faded, the question taking on a more serious note as Mikey stared into Leo's eyes.

Leo was suddenly hyper aware of every place on his body that Mikey was touching. His skin tingled, not at all unpleasantly, and his nostrils flared to take in his brother's scent.

A thought flashed into Leo's head that said, _"Run with it."_

He'd just begun to lift his face towards Mikey's when the sound of Raph's voice broke the spell. Mikey quickly rolled off of him, offering a hand and helping Leo to his feet.

"Where the hell . . . ?" Raph walked into the dojo and spotted his brothers. "How come Donny's door is locked?"

Mikey hurried over to him, catching hold of Raph's elbow and steering him out of the dojo, murmuring something to him in the hopes of soothing his ire.

Leo watched them go, breathing hard and wondering what the heck had just come over him.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 15

It took all of Leo's focus after his sparring match with Michelangelo to keep his mind directed toward the shaman problem.

The first thing he had to do was to help Mikey calm Raphael down. Donatello had indeed locked the door to his lab in anticipation of Raph's attempting to gain entry. Leo had to pull the leader card to get Don to open the door and then force a compromise between the two so that Don would come out long enough for Raph to see that he was all right.

Don had faced his lover with crossed arms and an unapproachable aspect. It was easy to see that Raph wanted to hold him, but that Don was indifferent to the idea.

Leo was just bracing himself for a painful scene when Mikey once more came to the rescue. He urged Raph to let Don get back to work because the genius was onto something and if Raph would take a seat on the couch, Mikey promised to explain everything they'd learned while Raph had been sleeping.

After Leo extracted an assurance from Don that he would not lock the door again, the leader took advantage of the brief respite to shower. Mikey's scent lingered on his body and for the first time in his life, Leo found it to be disorienting.

On his way downstairs, Leo tried to think of a way to distract Raph so that Mikey would have a chance to rinse off as well. It was another first; Leo actually wasn't keen on spending time with Raph the way he had been in the past.

He was saved the trouble. Once again Mikey proved adept at handling his hot-headed brother and had engaged Master Splinter in the effort to keep Raph away from Don. Master Splinter had taken Raph into his room to talk to him about the situation and once the door had closed behind them, Mikey had made a beeline for the bathroom.

Leo was tidying up the kitchen when he heard his human friends enter the lair.

"Geez, where is everyone?" Casey demanded in a loud voice.

Popping out of the kitchen to make his presence known, Leo saw Mikey descending the stairs.

"What were you expecting, a welcoming committee?" Mikey asked with a grin. Spotting the boxes of pizza the man was holding, Mikey swooped down on them. "On second thought, I welcome these babies."

Mikey left Casey clutching at thin air as he confiscated the pizza and darted past Leo into the kitchen.

"Hi Leo," April said. "How's Raph?"

"Ask him yourself," Raph said, exiting his father's room with Master Splinter on his heels. "I got shot, no big deal. I'm tired of being treated like an invalid 'cause of it."

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect ya' to act like a big baby over one bullet," Casey said, grasping his friend's hand.

Raph made sure to squeeze hard while they shook. "Acting like a baby when ya' get hurt is your thing," he replied with a grin. "Wouldn't dream of stealing your shtick."

April lifted one eyebrow at Casey and the man immediately said, "Come on Raph, let's grab some pizza before your brother eats it all."

"That's quite a trick," Leo said, watching the pair enter the kitchen. "Did you two work on that signal?"

"No, that's one of those couples things that develops over time," April responded with a laugh. Sobering quickly, she said, "I wanted to ask about Donny, but Casey told me that he thinks Raph and Don are in a . . . relationship. If Don's hurt, I didn't want to bring it up in front of Raph and upset him."

Leo touched her arm to indicate that April should come with him and then led her away from the kitchen. When they were out of earshot, he said, "Don isn't physically hurt, but I should warn you before you see him that what happened to Brittany has happened to Donny too. The mugger is actually a shaman and what he's done to both of them is to steal their soul."

April stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide. "Soul? You mean there is such a thing? I know I'm lapsed Catholic, but I seem to remember as a kid at church during a sermon thinking that the reference to a soul was just a metaphor."

"It's a real thing according to Master Splinter," Leo said. "Apparently it's a sort of conduit between the heart and the head. Without it, a person isn't capable of being in touch with their heart and becomes a pure thinking machine."

"Oh my God," April said, lifting a hand to her mouth in dismay. "That's why Brittany is so cold. And Donny . . . is he behaving the same way?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. With him it's worse because he's incredibly intelligent. He can't return Raph's affection and that is extremely painful for Raph. I didn't know until all of this happened that Raph and Don were together as a couple or I would have given you a head's up about it, April. Honestly."

"I know you would," April said, offering him an understanding smile.

"Are you . . . okay with that?" Leo asked.

"It's a lot to take in," April said truthfully, "but I don't have a problem with it, if that's what worries you. Neither does Casey. We talked it over when he told me about them. Whatever society tells us is right or wrong is usually pretty off-base anyway and doesn't really apply to you four. I mean, it is _just_ the four of you. What about you Leo, are you all right with it? They are your brothers."

"Like you, it was a lot for me to take in," Leo said. He wasn't going to tell her how he'd felt about Raph. "I've talked to each of my brothers about it and to Master Splinter. From what Raph told me, they seem genuinely in love. I couldn't ask for anything more than for my brothers to be happy."

Leo could see that another question was hovering in April's head, but whether she meant to ask it or not was moot because Mikey appeared at that moment.

"Hey, should we try to drag Don out of his lab, or bring him some pizza?" Mikey asked.

"I'll take it to him," April answered quickly. "I want to see if he needs my help with anything."

"That's cool," Mikey said. "You're the only one who understands his geek talk anyway. I'll get you a plate."

It only took him a couple of minutes to bring out not one, but two plates of pizza, knowing that once April was in with Don she probably wouldn't come out to eat for a while.

While Mikey handed off the pizza, Leo went into the kitchen, worried that he'd find Raph even more upset at knowing Don wouldn't join them for dinner. He was glad to find that Casey had engaged Raph in a heated discussion regarding football.

Master Splinter sat quietly nearby, eating pizza and listening to the two friends talk. Leo helped himself to a couple of slices and sat down next to his father.

When Mikey came in and went over to the counter to get his plate of half-eaten pizza, Leo's eyes followed him. He found himself contemplating Mikey's form, noting for perhaps the first time that Mikey was not only nearly as tall as Raph, but that he was a lot more muscular than Leo remembered.

Suddenly feeling as though he was being watched, Leo turned his attention back to his pizza. Taking a bite, he glanced towards his father and saw that Master Splinter was gazing at him speculatively.

Swiftly shutting down all thoughts that had nothing to do with catching the shaman, Leo finished his meal. Standing, he deposited his plate in the sink and said, "I'll be in the lab. When you guys are done, could you join me there?"

Whether it was because of something either Mikey or Master Splinter had said, or that April and Casey were present, Raph kept his distance from Don once they were all together in the genius' lab. His eyes never left his lover though, not during the run down Leo gave everyone on what they'd learned.

Only when the pictures of the shaman were passed around did Raph look at something else, and it was only a cursory glance. For himself, Don remained businesslike, giving his attention to whoever was directly addressing him or to whom he himself needed to speak.

Accepting two sets of pictures, one each for herself and Casey, April said, "We'll start our search in the morning as soon as I open the shop. I can leave Brittany to conduct business while I'm out. I do hope we can locate this guy. Brittany has been without her soul for too long and if souls do have a shelf life . . . ."

She left the sentence unfinished. It wasn't necessary to say more, everyone in the room understood the consequences of failure.

"I have a list of the neighborhoods where it is most likely the shaman resides," Don said, handing a print out and map to Leo.

"If he's known as a shaman to them, they probably won't give him away," April warned. "Casey and I can ask questions, but we're strangers so I doubt they'll answer."

"That's why I'm going to enlist the Professor's aid," Leo said. "He and his friends can start tonight working these neighborhoods. If there's anything to be learned, they won't raise suspicions finding it out."

"Hey Casey, you want to stick around and catch the football game with Raph?" Mikey asked. "Maybe you can prove that point you were trying to make earlier."

"Hell yeah." Casey turned to Raph. "I'll wager ya' a six pack that they fumble the damn ball no less than three times during the game."

"You're on," Raph said, allowing his friend to usher him out of the lab.

Leo looked at Mikey gratefully. His brother had adroitly handled what could have been a tough situation. It would have been difficult to leave the lair without Raph wanting to tag along and harder still to leave him behind without some sort of buffer between Raph and Don.

"I can stay with Don and keep working on a database search," April said. "If we can hack into the Department of Motor Vehicles, we can run a facial recognition program against the driver's license registry. Maybe we'll find our shaman that way."

"Sounds good," Leo said. "Mikey, do you want to go with me to talk to the Professor?"

"Sure," Mikey agreed. "I could use the fresh air."

Mikey took the wheel of the Battle Shell and drove to the junkyard where their friend, who they fondly referred to as the 'Professor', lived. The man shared the junkyard habitation with several other homeless men and since they acted as unpaid night watchmen, the owner allowed them to remain.

During the drive Leo wanted to address what had happened in the dojo but didn't know how to bring it up. Perhaps it was only his imagination that Mikey might be feeling something for him and if that was the case, Leo would only make a bigger fool of himself than he already had. He didn't want to diminish himself any further in Mikey's eyes.

The silence between them seemed to suit Mikey just fine. He looked to be deep in thought anyway, so Leo settled back to study the map Donatello had provided.

It was a little after nine at night and the city was still active, but the junkyard and the area around it was quiet. Don had made a key to the gate long ago and Leo used that to open it in order for Mikey to drive through, locking it behind the Battle Shell before proceeding into the section that the Professor called home.

"Greetings my friends," the Professor called out, walking to meet the turtles as they climbed out of the Battle Shell.

"Hello Professor," Leo said. "How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you. Your brothers are not with you? I read an interesting treatise on the theory of imploding molecules that I would enjoy discussing with Donatello," the Professor said.

"He couldn't make it," Mikey said. "We've got a big mystery of our own that we could use your help with."

"I would be delighted to lend my assistance," the Professor said. "Do tell me about it."

Leo explained about trying to locate a man who had taken something valuable and that the man thought he was a tribal shaman. What he didn't spend time relaying was any of the details about what the shaman had taken. He did tell the Professor that the man was dangerous and that if anyone did locate the shaman, they should not go near him.

The Professor looked at the map Don had provided and told the turtle brothers that he was familiar with the area and so were a few of the others who were camping in the junkyard.

"We can drive you over there and wait while you and the guys canvas the area, and then drive you back here again," Leo offered.

Casting a knowing look at Leo, the Professor said, "I can see that the situation is most urgent, my amphibious friends. It will be but a moment for me to gather the troops and then we will join you."

When the Professor returned to the Battle Shell, he had six of his mates in tow. Once they were all seated in the back, Mikey drove the group to the first block listed on Don's map and dropped them off after arranging for a pick up spot.

The homeless spread out, some already greeting acquaintances who occupied alleyways in the vicinity. Each member of the group was armed with a set of pictures of the man they were seeking and Leo knew that if he was anywhere around, the Professor would ferret him out.

Mikey parked the Battle Shell a few blocks away from the drop off point and the brothers settled in to wait. Since they didn't know how long the search would take or how many people the homeless men could find to talk to, Leo and Mikey got comfortable in the back where they wouldn't be seen.

Don had installed a television in the vehicle and Mikey turned it on, switching channels until he found one showing an action movie they'd already seen a few times. He kept the volume turned down so they could hear if anyone pounded on the doors.

It was difficult for Leo to lose himself in the movie. Mikey was so near and once more Leo found himself inhaling his brother's scent and enjoying it.

Leo shifted in his seat and chided himself for allowing his thoughts to go in that direction. It was bad enough he'd turned stalker like with Raph, he didn't need to do that with Mikey too.

They were partway through another movie when out of the blue Mikey said, "We should keep Raph and Don away from each other as much as possible until we get Don's soul back,"

Running his mind over all that had happened, Leo said, "I know that right now Donny finds Raph's attention annoying. Is that what you mean?"

"Nope," Mikey said, looking over at Leo. "It's 'cause of the way soulless Don acts. His cold behavior might permanently damage his relationship with Raph. When his soul is returned, Raph just might not see him the same way. Raph might be so hurt by what sounds like truths that the no soul Don is spouting that he can't feel what he used to feel for Donny."

Leo remembered how Don had told Raph that his lack of control might mean the end of Don's soul. Raph had looked like he'd taken a physical blow upon hearing that.

"I think I know what you mean," Leo replied. Mikey's insight never failed to amaze him.

"Master Splinter knows and he'll help," Mikey said. "Casey's a pain in the shell, but he could distract Raph, only he and April have cemetery duty tomorrow. That means we've got the job. You up for it?"

"Yes," Leo answered, wondering how much of that question involved Mikey trying to learn if Leo still harbored feelings for Raph. "I think if we keep assuring him that Don's all right and that he's working on a solution, Raph will feel better about the enforced separation. I'll tell him . . . no, I'll have Master Splinter tell him that if he doesn't rest he won't be allowed to go with us when we locate the shaman."

Mikey grinned. "Dad putting his foot down is a lot less aggravating than big brother doing it."

"For Raph anyway," Leo acknowledged. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I really have accepted that Raph needs Don. Those . . . thoughts that I used to have about Raph, they aren't there anymore."

"Okay," Mikey said, sounding neutral. "I'm sorry if I sounded like an ass on that subject. I guess I'm just as touchy as everyone else right now. Chasing down a guy who can do witchcraft kinda stuff is unnerving."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Leo assured him. "It isn't just about the shaman, though he was the catalyst. You have to understand, I'm not like you three. I focus on ninjitsu, training and learning all I can about warfare to keep my emotions at bay because I can't trust them. Not the way you, Raph, and Donny can. Mine steer me wrong."

"Feelings are like other stuff, Leo. You've gotta practice with them to know what they mean," Mikey said. "If you never let them out, you can't understand what they're trying to tell you."

"I certainly didn't understand what they were trying to tell me about Raph," Leo said. "If I had really wanted him, those feelings wouldn't just disappear like that," he snapped his fingers, "would they?"

Mikey shrugged. "Maybe you're just better at understanding a 'no trespassing' sign than you thought you'd be."

For some reason, Leo wasn't content with having Mikey believe that to be the case. He wanted to argue the point, but a knocking on the back door interrupted their conversation.

Glancing through the window, Leo saw that it was the Professor and his friends. He opened the door and ushered them inside as Mikey moved back into the driver's seat.

"Did you find out anything?" Leo asked, glancing at the clock on the dash and discovering to his astonishment that they'd been there nearly four hours.

"I am afraid our trip was in vain, my green friend," the Professor said. "Of the many people with whom we conversed, none had ever seen the man in this picture. We encountered a group of men throwing coins at a wall who were from the tribe that you mentioned. Though they claimed to know everyone from that tribe who live in the city, they could not identify this person."

Mikey started the van and pulled away from the curb. "Thanks for trying Professor," he said. "It was kind of a long shot anyway."

"Still, one has to try," the Professor said. "I have a theory about that."

He explained his theory in great detail throughout the ride back to the junkyard. Once there, Leo gave the Professor a bag of clothing and blankets they'd collected for he and his friends and then bade him goodnight.

"I hope April and Casey have better luck tomorrow," Leo said. "I really have no idea where else to look."

"We can't even lure him out of hiding if we don't know where he's hiding," Mikey said. "If he still had the amulet, we could guess who he'd be going after."

Leo shook his head. "After our attack, if he still had the amulet he'd have left the city with it. I don't think he can find another amulet in New York that's anything like the one we took from him, as Don suggested. I don't think he can travel far without his amulet because I'm certain that's his 'fuel'. We've got it so he has to stay put. The question is where?"

It was late when the two of them made it back to the lair. They found April napping on the couch while Casey and Raph played cards nearby.

"Any luck?" Casey asked when he saw the brothers. "April and me didn't want to leave until we knew if ya' had something."

April sat up and stretched before blinking her eyes several times to clear them. She turned on the couch so that she could see Leo.

"It was a washout," Leo answered. "The Professor and his crew combed the entire neighborhood without finding anyone who knew the man. They did run across some Tsimshian tribesmen who claimed to know everyone from any of the clans living here, and none of them could identify the picture."

"Guess it's up to us," Casey said, slapping the cards down on the coffee table and getting up. "Come on April, let's get some shut eye. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

April joined him on the way to the door, but stopped near Leo. "We ran that facial recognition search without a hit," she told him. "By then Don's eyes were so bloodshot that I insisted he sleep. He's on the daybed in his lab and the last time I looked in he was sound asleep. He said that Raph could use his bed again if he wanted to."

Leo had a feeling that Don had said something more, but April didn't choose to share his words. It was probably because Raph was within hearing distance.

"Thank you April, Casey," Leo said. "Goodnight."

Mikey walked partway with them and then bid them a goodnight as well. After they'd gone, Mikey tiptoed into Don's lab and then came back to where Raph and Leo waited.

"Yep she's right. The genius is sawing logs," Mikey said. "I wouldn't mind counting some sheep myself."

"We could all use the rest," Leo said. "Maybe if we're really quiet, Don will sleep for more than a couple of hours."

Raph stood up, grimacing slightly as his wound pulled. "I can take a hint. I'll go to bed. It just so happens I'm tired."

Frowning, Leo eyed his bandage. Though it didn't look dirty, he said, "Maybe we should change your dressing."

"Master Splinter already did that right after the game ended," Raph said. "Casey played nurse. He's okay at field triage, but give me Master Splinter or Donny any day for the emergency repairs."

When he said Don's name, Raph's eyes drifted towards the lab door and he sighed.

"Come on big guy, I'll walk up with you," Mikey said, encouraging Raph to join in step with him. "Do you wanna hear the Professor's latest theory? It's sure to put you to sleep."

Raph groaned good-naturedly but didn't try to stop Mikey's talkative flow. Leo chuckled under his breath; Mikey was right, if he went on with his explanation of everything their friend the Professor had said, Raph would be asleep in no time.

After a last check of the lair to make certain everything was locked up and the security systems on, Leo turned in for the night.

April phoned in the morning to let Leo know that she and Casey were headed out to the first cemetery on their list. She promised to keep the turtles apprised of their progress throughout the day.

The turtles were action oriented beings and playing a waiting game stretched their patience. Even Leo, who could normally calm himself with practice or meditation, was anxious and jumpy.

Donatello breakfasted in his lab, coming out only long enough to take a shower. Mikey drifted from comic books, to video games, to his art before settling for a short time on grooming Klunk.

Raph was restless and pacing. He couldn't work out properly because of his bullet wound and therefore had no outlet for his energy. Mikey had gotten him to play a video game with him, but that had only lasted an hour. Then Mikey had convinced Raph to sit still to have a sketch of himself done, but after twenty minutes Raph had enough.

Despite his lack of interest in the activity, Leo had tried to convince Raph to meditate with him in the dojo. That suggestion had earned Leo a growl and a four letter word for what he could do to himself.

It was late morning when April called with an update. The guard at the first cemetery had told them that the picture looked familiar, but he was no more help than that. He'd suggested that they talk to the head of the grounds crew and it had taken the pair an hour to track the man down at his office.

He had not recognized the picture, assuring them that the man was not an employee. April said that she believed him. He did tell her that cemetery directors often hired other types of labor on a piecemeal basis.

From the groundskeeper April had acquired the name of the cemetery director. She had found a listing for the man in the phone directory, but had received no answer when she'd called.

When she'd asked the groundskeeper about the other two cemeteries, he'd told her that the cemetery director for the first handled the business of those two as well. If he wasn't in his office, he'd most likely be found at one of the cemeteries, especially if any of them had burials scheduled for that day.

April and Casey were headed to one of the cemeteries as she relayed her information to Leo. She said she'd call again when they knew more.

Raph was practically in Leo's face during his conversation with April. As soon as their call disconnected, he demanded to know what she'd found.

Before Leo could say anything, Master Splinter was next to them, telling Raph that it was time to have his bandages changed. Only by assuring Raph that Leo would join them in the infirmary to tell them both of the phone call was he able to persuade Raph to go with him.

Mikey came in with them so that he could hear how the search was going too. Leo knew how little it was as he relayed April's information, though he tried to sound upbeat.

Sitting in a chair so that Master Splinter could reach his injury, Raph scowled. "Is that all those two . . . ."

Mikey interrupted him. "They're onto something," he said excitedly. "The guard said the picture looked familiar. That means he's seen the shaman and that he does some kind of job at the cemetery, some job that no one really notices."

"I think your optimism is well founded," Leo said, though the thread April was chasing was tenuous at best. "The shaman apparently comes and goes from these cemeteries without calling much attention to himself. If he didn't perform some job there, the guard wouldn't have found his picture to be familiar."

"Wish they'd hurry up and find the guy already," Raph muttered, sounding calmer than he had a few seconds earlier.

"I'm gonna go tell Donny," Mikey said, darting out of the infirmary while Raph was still incapacitated.

Master Splinter tied off the bandage that looped over one of Raph's shoulders and stepped back. "It is healing nicely. I am going to prepare lunch and after you have eaten, you will go and lie down, Raphael. Should our friends find this shaman, you must be in top shape to face him. If you do not rest, you will not be allowed out of the lair."

"But Master Splinter . . . ." Raph began.

His father lifted a hand to quiet him. "No. On this I must insist. I would forbid you from this hunt entirely except that I understand how important it is to you. All I ask is that you set my mind at ease by resting while you can."

"Okay Master Splinter," Raph said, relinquishing the argument.

"Leonardo, would you be so kind as to put the medical supplies away?" Master Splinter asked.

"Certainly, Father," Leo said.

To Leo's surprise, Raph remained seated after Master Splinter left the room. Leo began rolling up the unused portion of sterile gauze that had been left out, remaining silent though he knew his brother was watching him.

"I know what you're doing," Raph said.

Startled, Leo glanced up. "What I'm . . . doing? I'm putting away these supplies."

"Mikey and ya'," Raph said. "Wouldn't come as no shock to know ya' got Master Splinter to order me to lie down."

"Even if I'd ask that of him, Father wouldn't have done it if he didn't think it was what was best for you," Leo said.

"That ain't what it's all about," Raph insisted. "The three of ya' are doing your level best to keep me away from Donny. I know why too."

"You do?" Leo asked with a frown.

"Yeah, and I appreciate it," Raph said. "I ain't gonna lie and say that the stuff that comes out of Don's mouth don't hurt, 'cause it does. I also know that ain't really Donny talking. Still, I think you're right in not wanting the Don right now to taint the Don I'm in love with."

Leo put the gauze back into its packaging and turned to face Raph. "Mikey's the one who realized that could become a problem."

"He's smart about that kind of stuff," Raph said, "just don't tell him I ever admitted it. That skill of his at reading people is pretty damn useful. Wish I could and I'll bet ya' wish ya' could too."

"I don't have to," Leo said, smiling. "I've got Mikey to do it for me."

Raph stood up. "Yep, you've got Mikey. I've been wondering if ya' would ever realize that."

He walked out of the room, leaving a perplexed Leo to stare after him.

TBC…..


	16. Chapter 16

It was mid-afternoon before the turtles heard from April and Casey again.

Though Raphael was impatient for news, the hot head knew his father was serious about him getting some rest. After eating the lunch that Master Splinter had prepared, Raph returned to Donatello's room to lie down.

The resident genius couldn't be bothered to leave his lab, so Mikey carried food in to him and returned a short time later. Sitting at the kitchen table with Leonardo and Master Splinter, Mikey told them that Don was researching the history of the three cemeteries that seemed to be the key to locating the shaman.

"Researching them for what?" Leo asked.

Mikey shrugged. "No clue. I asked, but he just gave me the same kind of look Raph gives a cockroach, so I left. I can't wait to get our old Donny back. This one gives me the creeps."

"He is still your brother, Michelangelo," Master Splinter said.

"Yeah I know," Mikey replied, "but he's more like half a brother right now. Not the fun half either."

"It is curious that so few people understand how important the connection between the head and the heart is," Master Splinter said. "Many even believe that morality is a part of conscious thought, when in fact it is the heart leading us to do the right thing. When the link, the soul, is out of balance, it is then we see all of humankind's vagaries come to the fore."

"Like you said before about Agent Bishop," Leo said. "His heart plays no part in his decisions."

"His is without empathy," Master Splinter said. "The ability to feel what others are going through, to be able to identify with their emotions, is lacking in him. He is driven by specific goals and only in achieving them does he find satisfaction."

"Someone can be out of balance the other direction too," Mikey said, looking thoughtful. "Like, too much heart, right?"

Master Splinter smiled. "Yes, that happens as well. Often though, having too much heart is only a detriment to that person alone. They may give away all of their possessions, they may chain themselves to a tree and go on a hunger strike. Sometimes though the heart can cause us enormous pain. If we allow it alone to guide us, then we can want things that can never be ours. The love of something that cannot be acquired can easily turn to hatred if we do not have the ability to reason it through."

After lunch was over, Leo chased Master Splinter and Mikey from the kitchen with an offer to clean up. What he wanted to do was to think, and the mindless task of washing up and putting things away would leave his mind free to contemplate his worries.

At the uppermost of his thoughts was what Master Splinter had said about love turning to hatred. He could understand that; his own feelings had become violently negative when Raph had crudely informed him that Don was his sexual partner.

It was partly his conversation with Master Splinter but mostly the subsequent ones with Michelangelo that had shown Leo the path to acceptance. Understanding himself and what he truly wanted in a partner had finally proven to Leo that a relationship with Raph would not have worked.

The problem now was that even though Leo had been determined to make peace with the thought of being alone, his feelings did not want to cooperate. He found himself thinking more and more about Mikey.

Leo didn't want to go down that road. He'd already made a fool of himself by pursuing one brother who had no interest in him, doing so a second time would only further damage the tenuous hold he had on his team. He'd told Mikey that his own emotions weren't something he could trust and he didn't know if his newfound warmth for Mikey was even real.

Besides, if Mikey had felt something for him before, as Raph had intimated, those feelings were no doubt long gone. Watching Leo salivate after Raph's tail had turned Mikey bitter. Mikey was too good a soul, too temperate to truly hate him, but whatever fondness had once been there had certainly soured. Or so Leo tried to convince himself.

It didn't take long to finish with the kitchen. When he stepped out he saw that his father was watching television and that Mikey sat on the floor near him, playing a game on his hand held device.

Wanting the company, Leo joined them in the living area. Picking up a book he'd started a few days earlier, he sat on the couch and began reading.

Periodically Mikey would glance up at the clock and then return to his gaming. The only reason Leo noticed was because his eyes tended to wander from the book to focus on his younger brother. Then he too would look to see the time, which seemed to move very slowly while they waited for word from their human friends.

A little after four o'clock the sound of the elevator door opening to admit April and Casey immediately attracted everyone's attention. From the expression on April's face, Leo could tell that she had something.

Master Splinter lowered the volume on the television array as the two humans walked over to join the small family.

"You found him," Mikey said, spinning around to face them.

April nodded excitedly. "I think we did."

Leo got up and put his book on the coffee table. "Sit down and be comfortable. I'll get Donny so he can hear your report too."

Hurrying to the lab, Leo heard Master Splinter offer their guests something to drink, which they both declined.

Don looked up from his computer when Leo entered, no doubt having heard April's voice.

"April thinks they may have found the shaman," Leo said. "She's waiting to report to all of us."

"Ah, very good," Don said, leaving his seat to join Leo.

They were halfway back to the living area when Raph's voice sounded from above. "They got something?"

Don continued on but Leo stopped to look up. Raph was poised on the edge of the walkway staring down at them.

"Do not jump," Leo warned, sensing that was exactly what Raph was planning to do. "Sensei won't like it if you pull something loose."

Raph's initial response to what sounded like an order from Leo was to scowl, but the reminder that his freedom was predicated on Master Splinter's good will stopped his mulish temper. He backed away from the edge and took the stairs instead, though he moved a little faster than was prudent.

It did not go unnoticed by Leo that Don chose to lean against the wall, putting distance between himself and everyone else. Raph sat down on the couch next to April, and Leo took the chair opposite his father's.

"We would have had this information sooner if it hadn't taken so long to track down the cemetery director," April began.

"And if he hadn't been such a butt head," Casey added.

April nodded. "That too," she said. "At first he didn't even want to look at the pictures. He started spouting something about confidentiality of employment records and I asked him why he thought we were looking for one of his employees. I asked him if he had knowledge that one of them had done something illegal because if so, he was violating the law as well."

"Ya' should've seen the look on his face when April said that," Casey said, chuckling. "Right then I think we both knew the guy cuts corners whenever he can get away with it."

"It certainly gave us a good idea of the type of person we were dealing with," April acknowledged. "He suddenly got all polite and started apologizing, saying that he hadn't meant to be rude, it was only that he was very busy. I gave him the pictures then and he took his own sweet time looking at them."

"I think he stared at them for about three minutes," Casey said. "Busy my ass. It took about ten seconds for him to start trying to smooth out his face so he wouldn't give anything away, which meant he recognized the shaman."

"When he handed the pictures back to me, he tried to get away with saying he didn't know the man," April said. "If everyone lied that badly the police could probably put an end to crime. Of course I called him on it."

"Soon as April said she thought he did know the guy, the director got flustered as hell," Casey said. "His face started turning red and he kept looking everywhere but at us. I figured the shaman must scare the man shitless."

"Language Casey," April admonished him, a reminder that Master Splinter sat nearby.

"Sorry," Casey said. "Anyway, I thought if the shaman could scare him, then I could too. So I cracked my knuckles while I was telling the man how much I hated being lied to."

"Long story short," April said, "that plus fifty bucks made the director tell us everything he knew. The shaman isn't on the employment rolls; he's paid under the table as it were. He's the grave digger."

Don snapped his fingers. "I should have thought of that. It is the perfect cover."

"A grave digger is always in the background during the funeral," Casey said. "Absolutely no one pays any attention to him and even if they do look at him, he don't register."

"He hears everything and sees everything," April said. "He has just enough interaction with the director to have access to paperwork. The grounds crew don't interact with him because he's not one of them and they probably think he's beneath them on the social ladder."

"The cemetery property people not only own a couple of hearses, but they've got an old pickup too," Casey said. "Our guy has access to it."

"Since he probably only drives it between cemeteries, he wouldn't have a need for a license," Leo said.

"We got the name he's using from the director," April said. "The shaman calls himself Henry Alexie."

Leo glanced at Don. "Can you look that up and see if there's a listing for him?"

Before Don could move, April said, "Don't bother, I checked while we were on our way here. There is no listing under that name in New York. There are a couple of people with the last name Alexie, but their pictures don't match."

"Did that director dude know where Henry Alexie lives?" Mikey asked.

"He said he didn't," April replied. "He also said he has no phone number for Alexie. When I asked how he gets in touch with the man, he said that he tapes a weekly schedule to the door of the maintenance shed at the Second Avenue location."

"How's he get paid?" Raph asked. "He does get paid, don't he?"

"The cemetery director claims to pay him, but I'm guessing it's not much," April said. "I think the reason he accepts such an odd arrangement is because Alexie works cheap. They only have real contact with each other twice a month when the director gives Alexie an envelope of cash."

"But isn't it weird that the guard you guys talked to said he really didn't recognize Alexie?" Mikey asked. "I mean, if he comes and goes daily, you'd think the guy would be more familiar with him."

"I believe I have the answer to that mystery," Don said. "The cemetery on Broadway has an older section which is no longer is use. There are several mausoleums on that site. The undead do not require the luxuries of your standard home."

Casey squirmed on the couch. "I still ain't liking this undead stuff," he said, "especially when ya' don't really know how to off the guy."

"Separating his head from his body seems like a good option," Raph said, giving Leo a meaningful look.

"But not until he's returned those stolen souls," April said hastily. "So what's the plan? Should we search the mausoleums?"

"Bet we don't have to," Mikey said. "If Alexie is really connected to that amulet thingy, he'll know when it's nearby. We can take it with us and draw him out of hiding."

"Let's not forget how fast and strong he is," Leo said. "We don't want him taking it away from us and disappearing."

"Could we hide it or ya' know, disguise it somehow?" Raph asked. "I mean, after we get there it probably ain't gonna take long for him to sense the damn thing. If we can cut off its signal somehow, he'll have to come to us if he wants it back."

Nobody said anything, though they looked around at each other as if searching for suggestions. For his part, Leo had no idea how to hide the amulet from Alexie.

"If this shaman has such a strong connection to the amulet, why has he not come here in search of it?" Master Splinter suddenly asked.

"Maybe it's a distance thing?" Mikey suggested.

Leo remained silent, watching his father. He had a feeling that Master Splinter was onto to something.

"The amulet is a powerful talisman," Master Splinter said. "Perhaps its signal can be nullified by something of equal or greater power."

Don pushed off of the wall and gestured around the lair. "The Y'Lyntian crystals. They are embedded in the support beams throughout our home. I still have one from the last time we ventured underground."

"Perfect," Leo said. "We'll stuff the amulet into a sack with the crystal until we get to the cemetery. We can separate them for a few minutes and then put them back together and hide them somewhere so that none of us are carrying the amulet."

"Then what?" Raph asked. "Are all of us gonna pounce on him at once and hope he's lost some of that strength ya' keep telling us about?"

"You aren't going to pounce on anyone," Leo said. "Since fire seems our best option for controlling him, you're going to carry a torch of some kind."

"A flame thrower would be a more viable choice than a torch," Don said. "I can easily rig up a gas canister that Raphael can strap onto his shell. In that way he can adjust the size of the flame."

"Keep it turned just low enough so he'll stay away from you," Leo said. "You can't fully lift your arm to defend yourself if he were to attack."

"What's to keep him from running away from us?" April asked. "You aren't going to be able to keep him in one spot with a single flame thrower. Maybe I could carry a second one?"

Leo shook his head. "You can't be there at all, April. Much as we could use your help, Brittany may need you more. We don't know how the shock of a soul re-entering its host body will effect a person. She might even need to be resuscitated."

April didn't look happy about being left out of the action but she appeared to accept it. "I suppose I could tell her we need to do a complete inventory. That will keep her in the shop with me for a few hours."

"Have her meet you there at eight," Leo said. "We'll go to the cemetery at nine. If we haven't drawn him out by ten, we'll come back here and try to think of a new plan."

"Keeping him from running off is easy," Mikey said, addressing April's initial question. "We'll just tell him if he wants his amulet back he has to do what we say."

"As long as he believes he has a chance to recover the thing I'm sure he'll cooperate," Leo added. "Master Splinter?"

His father understood the partial question. "I will go with Miss O'Neil and remain unseen in her apartment," he said. "Miss Brittany's soul may need guidance to find its way back from such a distance and I am best suited to that spiritual task."

April and Casey left soon after that; Casey to get some sleep and April back to her shop. She would let Brittany go home early so that the girl could return at eight.

Don went up to the garage to prepare the homemade flame thrower that Raph was to use. It was evident that Raph wanted to go with him, but after exchanging glances with Mikey, he refrained from even making the suggestion.

Raph did however refuse to return to bed, saying he would get bed sores if he had to lay down again. To pacify Master Splinter, he agreed to remain on the couch. After their father had gone to his room, Leo saw Raph stretching his muscles and slowly lifting and lowering the arm on his injured side. Since he was moving very carefully, Leo didn't say anything.

Mikey insisted on preparing dinner and Leo assisted him in making something quick and simple. Working next to his younger brother in the enclosed kitchen, Leo found himself subconsciously moving as close to Mikey as he could.

He wasn't sure what it was that kept attracting him; if it was Mikey's scent, which seemed more alluring than it ever had before, Mikey's warmth, or his energy. Whatever it was, Leo had to make an effort to stay out of his personal space. Even then, in the short time they worked together, Mikey had given him a couple of odd looks.

They ate a little earlier than usual. Don took his food up to the garage, while Raph and Master Splinter consumed their meals while seated in front of the televisions. That left Mikey and Leo to eat together in the kitchen.

There was none of the comfortable banter that they normally shared. Leo didn't know what to say for once; he found himself tongue tied, too afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Mikey seemed to sense Leo's unease and finally said, "It's gonna be all right bro'. Alexie will show up, we'll hand his butt to him and get Donny's soul back. Nobody messes with the ninja turtles."

Though that wasn't what troubled Leo at the moment, it was easier to let Mikey think it was so. "Thanks, Mikey. I'm not sure where to go from here if this doesn't work out."

"That's why it will," Mikey said with a smile.

As was usual, Mikey's optimism calmed some of Leo's unease and he found himself returning the smile. "I'm taking your word for that."

"No problemo," Mikey said as he returned to eating his food.

Before they left the lair, Leo confirmed with April that Brittany was at her shop. Don packed the amulet into a burlap sack with his Y'Lyntian crystal and put the sack into his duffel bag. After Don showed Raph how to operate the flame thrower, the turtles and their father drove to April's place.

Casey was waiting for them in the alley next to her shop. He held the side door open for Master Splinter, who admonished them all to be careful before entering and taking the stairs up to April's apartment.

Once Casey was in the Battle Shell with them, Don headed toward the cemetery. Rather than entering through the main gate which was more visible to passers-by, he drove around to a back gate. Mikey jumped out to pick the lock, swinging the gate open so that Don could bring their vehicle inside the grounds. When it was past him, Mikey closed the gate again but only latched it in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

The road into the older section of the cemetery grounds was full of pot holes and weeds, a good indication that it was rarely used. A quarter moon offered little illumination and the large stately trees in that section allowed only a fraction of that light to penetrate to the ground.

Don pulled the Battle Shell off road and under the cover of a grouping of trees. There they disembarked and took stock of their surroundings.

The area was wooded, the graves covered in fallen leaves and weeds. Nearby was a mausoleum, the entry building narrow and the attached memorial building crumbling slightly. Both were covered in moss and vines.

"I doubt he'd be in that one," Mikey whispered.

It was the atmosphere of the place that seemed to force their voices down. "Don, were you able to get some sort of layout of this area?" Leo asked.

"We should head in an easterly direction," Don said. "The mausoleums are scattered throughout, with a larger grouping a little ways from here."

"When do we pull that amulet out of the bag?" Raph asked. "We gonna lock it up inside the Battle Shell afterwards?"

"We'll go in farther before giving the amulet some freedom," Leo decided. "Then we'll find a less obvious hiding place; if he chances on the Battle Shell I don't want to underestimate his ability to find a way inside."

They avoided the use of flashlights as they walked so as not to chance having the shaman see them before they were ready for him. All five of them were used to operating in the dark, though Casey periodically stumbled over hidden roots.

When the group reached a clearing opposite a small rust covered mausoleum, Leo stopped them.

"Okay Donny, take the amulet out. Raph go ahead and light that thing up in case he's faster than we remembered," Leo said. "Be ready for anything."

Removing the burlap sack from his duffel, Don opened it and extracted the amulet. He set his duffel bag on the ground, leaving the crystal inside, and walked several paces away from it so that the crystal wouldn't interfere with the amulet's power.

Don turned slowly, holding the amulet out as though expecting it to make some sort of sound. He, along with his brothers and Casey, scanned the surrounding area, alert for any type of movement.

Leo gave it only a few minutes before deciding that was enough. "Put it back with the crystal," he told Don, "and let's hide it quickly."

To give Donatello cover for hiding the amulet, the group converged on him, making it hard to tell who was holding the object. Then they separated, each going into a different heavily wooded area.

With a whistle, Leo called them all back to the clearing. "Where did you hide it?" he asked Don.

"In the crotch of a tree twenty paces in," Don said. "The tree has a split trunk, not a natural separation."

"Good," Leo said. "It remains there until we've got Alexie. Let's stay near each other. Casey, don't go far from Raph. Okay bro', turn that flame up a little, we don't want the guy zeroing in on you."

Raph did as he was told without argument, clearly less concerned about his own ego as he was for getting Don's soul back. He had always been very protective of the genius and his falling in love with Don seemed to have ramped up that quality.

Of the five of them, Don was the least anxious. He waited calmly, though was no less attentive than the others.

It was very quiet in this section of the cemetery without even a breeze to rustle the leaves. Street sounds, which were normally so prevalent in the city, were barely heard this far back from the road. The only noise that did penetrate was the honking of a car horn, which made everyone but Donatello jump.

Twenty minutes passed before Casey began to get antsy, though the only indication of that was his starting to pace. At thirty minutes Mikey began to switch off hands as he twirled his nunchaku.

When thirty-five minutes had gone by Leo found himself worrying that Alexie was nowhere around. Maybe he'd miscalculated and the man had left the city as soon as he'd lost the amulet. Maybe Alexie was too weak to come after them, or already dead. That thought was harrowing and Leo shivered. Dead meant Don's soul couldn't be recovered. The concept was unbearable.

Glancing over at Raph, Leo could see the pain reflected in his brother's eyes. Raph was trying to be watchful, but he kept looking towards Donny. What would happen to Raph's spirit if he couldn't have the old Donatello back again?

A soft hiss from Leo's left broke that train of thought. It was Donatello. "In the trees at one o'clock. I saw something move."

The warning gave Leo just enough time to draw his swords and then Alexie was in their midst.

He was still damn fast. Being without the souls trapped inside the amulet hadn't seemed to affect him much. Dodging beneath Don's bō staff, Alexie plowed into the genius with his shoulder, throwing Don to the ground.

Whipping around, he blocked the swing of Casey's bat with a forearm and delivered an uppercut that lifted Casey off his feet. Leo slashed at his hip, wanting to wound or cripple the shaman, but Alexie jumped back to evade Leo's first stroke and then darted toward Raph as Leo's second sword flashed towards him.

A twist of a dial sent flames shooting out at Alexie who skid on his heels and then spun away from Raph. It seemed they had guessed one thing correctly; he wanted nothing to do with fire.

Swiftly backing away from the group, Alexie neared the tree line and appeared ready to run.

"We have the amulet, Alexie!" Leo called out to him, stopping the man. "We want our brother's soul back and we're willing to trade."

For a moment it seemed he wouldn't answer. Leo kept his focus on Alexie, though out of the corner of his eyes he saw a flash of orange.

"Your offer of a trade is a deception," Alexie responded, his voice deep and rich in tone. "Even without the amulet I can read what is in your heart."

"Maybe so, but if we don't get Don's soul, ya' ain't ever gonna see that amulet," Raph said, keeping the flame thrower pointed at the man.

"Then we are at an impasse," Alexie said, taking a step back. "I will find another way."

On that last word he turned to flee and found Michelangelo directly in front of him. Fast as he was, he was unable to avoid the downward motion of Mikey's nunchuck and it connected solidly with the top of Alexie's head.

Even so, a strike that would have crushed the skulls of most people only dropped Alexie to his knees. Mikey stood over him, spinning his weapons, prepared to hit him again if the man so much as moved.

"Ha! Teach you to underestimate a turtle!" Mikey gloated.

Mikey didn't see the shaman dig his fingers into the soil and scoop out a handful of dirt, but Leo did.

"Watch out!" Leo shouted.

Rather than trying to rise, Alexie rolled to one side and threw the dirt into Mikey's face. Mikey scrambled backwards, pawing at the dirt in his eyes as Alexie gained his feet.

Pulse racing, Leo ran towards them, hearing Don and Casey following close on his heels. In seeming slow motion Alexie gained his feet, clenched both hands together in a tight fist, and swung them at Mikey's face with all his might.

He hit Mikey dead on. Mikey's nunchucks slid out of his hands and he slumped forward, only to be caught by Alexie.

Before Leo was even within striking distance, Alexie flung Mikey's limp form across one shoulder and dashed into the shadows of the trees. By the time they reached the spot, the shaman and his captive were gone from sight.

Raph caught up to them and sagged against the trunk of a tree, breathing hard from his exertions. Plucking a flashlight from his belt, Leo played it along the ground, trying to pick up Alexie's trail, but the fallen leaves made doing so impossible.

"He's got him; he's got Mikey," Raph groaned.

"No," Leo whispered, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Not Mikey. Mikey couldn't be gone, Leo had no idea how to go on without him.

Tipping his head back, Leo screamed into the treetops, "No!"

TBC…..


	17. Chapter 17

"Damn it," Raph muttered with feeling.

Leo spun to see that Raph still leaned heavily against a tree. His brother's breathing sounded harsh and labored. Dashing over to him, Leo's first thought was to check Raph's bandages for signs of blood.

"Stop," Raph demanded, shoving Leo's hands away. "I wasn't cussing because I'm hurt."

For once Leo didn't try to hide how he was feeling as he stared into Raph's face. "He's got Mikey," Leo said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Yeah, he does," Raph acknowledged. "This little trap of ours didn't work so great."

"Maybe we should've thrown a net over him," Casey said, walking up to join the pair. "Maybe shot him with some tranquilizers or something."

"It doesn't matter what we should have done," Leo said, seething with anger. "That's past. He's holding the cards now. If anything happens to Mikey . . . . "

"We'll get him back," Raph said, trying to calm his brother. "Then we'll kill that shaman just like we planned on doing."

Leo's eyes sparked dangerously. "I'll kill him slowly by slicing his skin away piece by piece and salting the raw wounds. We have to find him first and I don't know what to do other than to search every one of the mausoleums."

"Or wait for Alexie to come to us with his demands," Don said as he approached.

"And what's he doing to Mikey while we stand around waiting?" Raph asked, clearly distressed by how cold Don's proposal sounded.

"Most likely nothing," Don replied. "We still have the amulet and it is obvious that Alexie cannot find it while the crystal masks its energy signal. Without the amulet, Alexie cannot steal Mikey's soul. Since Michelangelo is his best hope for retrieving the amulet, Alexie will not harm him."

"Unless he tortures Mikey for information," Raph said darkly.

Leo turned off his flashlight and tucked it into his belt to hide the fact that his hands were shaking. The idea that Alexie was hurting Mikey was nearly enough to overwhelm all reason.

"He will not," Don said, sounding positive. "Mikey does not know where I hid the amulet because he did not hear me tell Leo of its location. Alexie made it clear that he could sense that Leo planned to deceive him. If he has that ability, he will know that Mikey is speaking the truth when he says he has no knowledge of the amulet's location."

Never before had Leo been so relieved to hear Donatello speaking in such a flatly logical manner. Alexie might be a nearly two hundred year old psychopath, but he wasn't a stupid one or he wouldn't have survived as long as he had.

"Well shit, if the guy can sense what we're thinking, how the hell are we gonna trap him?" Casey asked.

"Mikey managed to sneak up on him, so Alexie ain't infallible," Raph said. "He didn't like fire at all, just like Don predicted."

"Ya' can bet he's already figured out a way to avoid your flame," Casey said sourly.

Suddenly from somewhere hidden by the trees a voice called out, "He says his name is Michelangelo!"

Leo jerked around, his hands automatically going for his katanas. As used to the dark as his eyes were, Leo could not make out Alexie's hiding place.

"Where is he?" Leo demanded.

"He is where I have left him," Alexie responded, his voice coming from a different location. It was clear he was moving around so they couldn't pinpoint him.

"Ya' better not have hurt him," Raph snarled, pushing off of the tree. "If ya' do, there ain't no place on Earth ya' can hide from us."

"I do not want your brother," Alexie said. "I want my amulet."

"So that you can steal even more souls?" Leo asked, trying to get a fix on Alexie's whereabouts.

"One cannot steal what is willingly offered," Alexie said, his voice seeming to come from farther away. "People want their pain taken from them. They would rather feel nothing than to suffer such unending anguish."

"It isn't unending though," Leo said. "Grief is a natural outlet and one of the steps living beings go through to recover from a loss. When they are hurting, they don't have the ability to make an informed decision regarding their soul. They can't have given you permission."

"They come to me and freely release their soul," Alexie insisted. "It is better than the other way."

"Other way?" Leo asked, his feeling of dread growing.

"Did you think that the amulet is the only way I have of acquiring souls?" Alexie countered. "There is another method, an older magic, that I can make use of. It is messy and the host body does not survive the process. I am sure you would agree that returning the amulet to me is far less disagreeable than leaving me to employ this other method."

"You're lying!" Raph shouted.

"Am I?" Alexie asked. "Do you wish to take that chance?"

As hard as Leo tried, he could not pin down where Alexie was. "What do you propose?"

"A trade," Alexie answered. "My amulet for Michelangelo. I will not harm him if you do not damage the amulet and do not try to destroy me. I must have your word."

"No," Raph whispered, moving closer to Leo. "No. If we make that trade what's to keep him from overpowering us and taking all our souls? Don's soul is in that damn amulet, how are we gonna make him give it back?"

"We have to save Mikey," Leo hissed. "Maybe Alexie would agree to certain stipulations. We might be able to force him to return any trapped souls."

"And then what, let him walk so he can start collecting all over again?" Casey demanded.

Before they could decide what to do, Don stepped away from the group and announced loudly, "Yes, we will agree to a trade. You have my word of honor."

Leo leaped forward to grab Don's arm. "What are you doing?"

"I accept it," Alexie said. "Bring the amulet to the Highgate mausoleum. I will be waiting inside with your brother. Do not take too long."

Although there wasn't the faintest whisper of a sound, they knew that Alexie had gone.

"We hadn't decided what to do Donatello," Leo said angrily, wanting to shake his brother.

Don pulled his arm free of Leo's grip. "Would you like for me to enumerate our options? They are few. Our priority is to retrieve an irreplaceable asset. If you will recall, this is something that you made quite clear to me."

"It's done now guys," Casey said in a placating tone. "Anybody know how to find that Highgate place he was talking about?"

"There was a map of this section of the cemetery on their website," Don said. "I printed a copy."

They followed Don back to the small clearing where he'd left his duffel bag. Retrieving it, Don fished out the map, locating their position in relation to the small mausoleum that was nearby.

"The Highgate mausoleum is here," Don said, pointing to a spot on the map. "A ten minute walk."

Leo's mind was in overdrive. "There's no way Alexie is going to trap himself inside a mausoleum," he said. "He'll have an escape route. Whatever happens, we can't let him get away from us again."

"How do ya' propose we do that?" Raph asked. "Ya' gonna fight magic with magic?"

"No," Leo said thoughtfully, looking at the gas canister strapped to Raph's shell. "Something better. Wait here, I'll be right back."

"Where are ya' . . . ." Raph began, but Leo was already jogging off.

Leo headed straight to the Battle Shell, careful to make as little noise as possible. He didn't think that Alexie was spying on them, but he'd learned from his father to always be cautious.

Once inside the armored vehicle, Leo wasted no time grabbing what he needed from the small cooler they always carried with them. He swiftly emptied the liquid out of two squirting water bottles and refilled them with gasoline.

Closing up the Battle Shell, Leo ran back to where his brothers and Casey waited.

"Here," Leo said, handing one of the bottles to Casey and keeping one for himself. "It's gasoline. Raph, keep that burner on at all times; you may need to light something up very quickly."

"It's on," Raph said, holding up the nozzle end of his makeshift flame thrower. A small flame danced around the opening like a hot captive waiting to be released.

"Don gave his word of honor that we wouldn't try to destroy Alexie," Leo said. "We can't go back on that but we can capture the guy. I want all of you to look closely for a chance to jump him. I'll keep him talking as long as I can. We can secure him with the rope in Don's duffel bag."

Donatello gave Leo an odd look but didn't say anything.

"Then we can shove him into a coffin and seal it up," Raph said with a hint of a grin. "Serve him right to be buried alive."

"Donny, get the amulet," Leo said.

It only took a few minutes for Don to take the sack holding the amulet and the crystal from its hiding place and return.

"Leave the amulet in there with the crystal," Leo told his brother. "We don't want him to sense the amulet ahead of time and try to take it from us before we find Mikey. Let's go save both of you."

Don nodded and put the sack into his duffel bag. Leo studied the map for a moment and then began walking, leading the way to the mausoleum where he hoped they'd find Mikey and the shaman.

Raph stayed near Don, alert for any trickery. Losing that amulet meant losing Don's soul and that wasn't a risk any of them wanted to take. The fear that plagued Leo the most as they neared the mausoleum was that they'd have to choose between Don's soul and Mikey's life. Though it was obvious that Mikey's life was the higher priority, he knew no one would forgive him if Don's soul was the price they had to pay. Leo certainly wouldn't forgive himself.

The mausoleum they were looking for proved to be easily recognizable. It was a larger structure than most of the ones they'd seen; a two-story tall edifice with a rounded dome and an ornate entryway with double doors. The building was made of red marble with decorative columns, cherubs, and a huge cross above the entry. On the brickwork over the doors the name "Highgate" had been engraved in large block letters.

Heavy shrubs grew close against the sides of the octagonal shaped building and trees hugged the back, making for a denser wooded area than they'd encountered thus far.

"Perfect hiding place," Raph muttered. "We'll probably run across Dracula in there too."

A dim light shone through what looked like cut crystal windows set in threes into the upper floor.

"Electric lights," Don said. "The building must have some wiring or he has brought in a generator."

"The guy don't like fire," Casey said. "He sure ain't gonna take a chance on using it."

Despite his growing anxiety, that thought gave Leo some comfort. It was yet more proof that Alexie was vulnerable in at least one regard.

Walking up the steps to the doors, Leo grasped the handle on one and pulled. The door opened easily with just the faintest squeak. Casey went in behind Leo, followed by Don, and then Raph brought up the rear.

The areaway was just wide enough to accommodate them single file, with benches located to either side, obviously meant for people to sit on while in thoughtful meditation. A few paces in the room broadened to accommodate alcoves which held the coffins containing Highgate ancestors.

It was nearly pitch black inside the room, the only light coming from the innermost section of the mausoleum and from the faint flicker of Raph's torch. Without a word, Leo pointed at a place where the room narrowed again and then he went towards it with the others close behind.

Dust lay everywhere, untouched for who knew how long. Leo noticed that cobwebs, which had apparently been broken by something recently, were just starting to be repaired by their owners. Clearly Alexie had passed this way only once, maybe twice. As Leo had suspected, the shaman had another way inside.

The light grew a little brighter as Leo neared the end of the hallway. He had hoped to hear Mikey's voice by now, but the only sound inside the mausoleum came from Casey's footsteps. The man was incapable of being completely silent.

In another minute Leo stepped out into a large circular chamber. Directly in front of him was a marble pedestal atop which sat a stone coffin. Laying on top of the coffin was an unconscious Michelangelo.

Leo started forward but a hiss stopped him. Popping up from behind the coffin, Alexie swiftly pressed the point of a silver dagger to Mikey's neck, just below the hollow.

From the corners of his eyes, Leo saw Casey move far to his right, while Raph went left. Don came up beside him, holding his duffel bag close to his body.

"Leo," Raph said in a low voice.

When Leo glanced at him, Raph nodded towards a spot against one wall. Lying there was the remains of a homeless man, his throat torn open as though something had burst out of it.

"One here too," Casey said, drawing Leo's attention that direction. Another dead man lay curled on his side, an identical wound on his throat.

Alexie reached up to push the hood of his cape off his head, drawing Leo's gaze back to him. "You did not bring my amulet," he said in a menacing tone. A thin trickle of blood welled up from the point of Alexie's blade and trickled down to the top edge of Mikey's plastron.

"Wait!" Leo shouted, staying the shaman's hand. "We have the amulet but we've found a way to mask its signal. If you attack us to find which of us is carrying it, we'll burn you."

"I have no wish to attack you," Alexie said. "I merely want my amulet. We agreed to a trade; this turtle for the amulet."

"What have you done to him?" Leo asked, worried about a trick. "Why isn't he awake? He must have been awake to tell you his name."

"He is under a sleeping spell," Alexie said. "It is a simple one, but he won't wake until I counter the spell."

"Hypnosis," Don said. "Parlor tricks."

Alexie inclined his head, seemingly amused. "You may call it such if it helps you to understand. As you can see, any move you make in my direction will not be quick enough to prevent me from piercing his throat."

Leo did see that as well as some other things as his eyes swept the chamber. A small gas generator sat in one corner, powering a pair of work lights. Leaves were scattered on the floor and Leo noticed that a couple of them seemed to be stuck underneath a wall. His guess was that wall wasn't as solid as it appeared to be. Since there were no leaves in the entry or the first room they'd gone through, Leo was certain he'd spotted Alexie's way out.

To keep Alexie from learning that he'd seen the trick wall, Leo pretended to be looking at the dead men. "I was under the impression that you preferred not to take lives," Leo said.

Alexie's expression darkened. "You would be correct. The man I killed when two of you attacked me was unavoidable. I was startled and used too much force."

"That isn't what happened here," Leo said, indicating the dead men.

"Their deaths are on your head," Alexie said. "I was trained as a healer and do not like to take lives. Doing so also leaves a messy trail and I have no wish to become America's most sought after serial killer.

"Souls are powerful things and difficult to contain. Within their own host body they have a purpose, one they have been specifically designed to perform. Outside of the deceased host and without a purpose, they dissipate and vanish. This is why I always take the soul of an elderly person as the first offering of the season; their soul is already at a point where it is accepting the loss of its host and can therefore adjust to a new environment faster.

"The amulet is potent magic, the kind of magic that can easily hold a soul, if one knows how to pull that soul inside. But souls cannot survive inside a vacuum, they must have purpose or they cease to exist. This is why I never leave a soul alone inside the amulet for more than two weeks. As long as there are at least two souls together, they comfort and sustain one another.

"But I too require souls for sustenance, seven to be exact," he continued. "Seven is a magic number, with seven souls inside of me, I am able to survive for two years before I must once again seek donations."

"I thought four was the number considered to be magic by the Native American peoples," Don said.

"It is," Alexie responded. "If this were purely the magic of my heritage, then I would require only four souls. It is not. Death gave me access to other magic, some as old as mankind itself. That is the magic I was forced to use on these forgotten men."

Alexie waved towards the two dead men. Leo watched him, somewhat surprised at how easy it was to get the man to talk. Perhaps he had lived so much in secrecy that the loneliness of that existence made him verbose.

"Where did you store their souls?" Leo asked.

"In here," Alexie answered, touching his chest. "I prefer a soul which has had the chance to adjust to its new role, but I was forced to acquire two more souls without the aid of the amulet because of you. Their discordance causes me discomfort, something akin to heartburn."

"Ya' didn't wait two weeks to steal their souls," Raph asserted.

"I had no choice," Alexie told him. "I have a four month window in which to acquire the seven souls I need and I have found that allowing two weeks between each supplicant contact makes it easier to keep my activities hidden. It also allows for the souls to adjust so that I am not plagued by their disquiet. But you somehow discovered me and now I must move on. I need the energy of all seven souls in order to do that."

"There's two souls inside that amulet that ya' can't keep," Raph said angrily. "One of them belongs to my brother. You're gonna give it back or ya' ain't walking out of here."

"Those two souls are primed and ready to be assimilated," Alexie said. "How can I return them now? They are necessary; I must have one more soul to complete my pilgrimage and it must have time to acclimate. It is bad enough that there are two inside of me who are searching for a way out, I cannot have more than that doing the same thing. Once I have the amulet, I can use one of the souls trapped inside of it and then collect a final one to stay with your brother's soul until I am ready to use them both."

"No!" Raph lifted the nozzle on the flame thrower and pointed it at Alexie. "Ya' ain't going no place with Don's soul!"

"Raph, lower that weapon," Leo said calmly, keeping his eyes on Alexie. "He wants to leave here and Don's soul in the price he'll have to pay for safe passage."

"So you _have_ come to bargain," Alexie said. "Even as I hold a dagger at this young one's throat. Is that gall or bravery? It would be a shame to kill this one; he has probably the most perfect soul I have ever come across, though his is suffering right now. Not from anything I have done, it is a pain of the heart. Unrequited love is a hurtful thing, isn't it?"

Alexie was looking directly at Leo. Keeping his expression guarded, Leo chose to ignore the second question in favor of answering the first. "I wouldn't call it bravery, I would say I am looking after my family. We need for Donatello to be whole again."

"I can see that your heart has accepted the loss of its first love," Alexie went on as though Leo hadn't spoken. "Michelangelo is having a more difficult time. It tears at him because he is not turned away, he is ignored."

"Attempting to taunt my brother is a useless endeavor," Don said. "He does not respond to such things, nor to threats. Bargain with us on an intellectual level and we will make more progress."

"You are the most unique creatures I have ever encountered," Alexie replied, looking at Don. "I have not gotten more than a taste of your soul, but I cannot wait. It is the strongest I have ever captured."

"Enough of that talk," Raph growled. "Ya' don't get to keep Don's soul so ya' can stop drooling over it."

"Our initial agreement made no mention of the return of your brother's soul," Alexie said. "It is a great prize. Will you bargain to give me safe passage for its return? Your brother has already given his word not to destroy me in exchange for Michelangelo. Do not think that I cannot sense your plan to trap me for all eternity."

"What about Brittany's soul?" Casey asked, looking from the shaman to Leo. "April came to ya' for help in fixing her too. We can't just let him walk out of here with hers."

"I will bargain for one, not two," Alexie said sharply. "There must be at least one soul in the amulet when I leave here. Unless you wish for me to take Michelangelo's soul right now."

He bent over Mikey, his mouth nearing the young turtle's neck. "It takes but a second to slash open a throat and suck out a soul. Unfortunately, it is very painful and very deadly for the victim."

Leo surreptitiously popped open the top on the gasoline filled squirt bottle he carried, ready to make his move. He knew that Casey would rapidly follow his lead and that Raph would know exactly what to do once Leo started the action.

Once more it was Donatello who thwarted Leo's plans. "I will trade," Don said, reaching into his duffel bag and removing the burlap sack. He let his duffel bag slide to the ground as he stepped forward. "The amulet for my brother; safe passage in exchange for my soul."

Grinding his back teeth together, Leo kept silent. They would have to find another way to retrieve Brittany's soul since Don seemed determined to block every avenue open to them for capturing the shaman.

"Show the amulet to me," Alexie said, his eyes sparking with excitement as he straightened up.

Don pulled the amulet out of the sack, tossing the sack and Y'Lyntian crystal behind him. As he held up the amulet, Alexie inhaled sharply and moved the dagger off of Mikey's skin.

"I will bring it to you," Don said, moving forward swiftly.

"Stop!" Alexie ordered, his dagger menacing Michelangelo again. Pointing to a spot to one side of the pedestal, he said, "Place the amulet there and back away."

Bending down slowly, his eyes on the shaman, Don did as he was told. He had taken two steps back when Alexie came down from his perch and moved around the coffin to reach for the amulet.

Quick as a flash, Don yanked his bō staff free and swung it at Alexie's hand, smacking the knife out of his grip. Before the shaman could grasp the amulet, Don lowered the end of his bō and swept the amulet aside.

As the amulet slid across the ground towards Raph, the shaman shrieked in rage and darted after it. A thick stream of fire from Raph's flame thrower stopped him and Alexie skid on his heels as he backpedaled away from the blaze.

Leo dashed past Alexie, hopping up onto the step next to the pedestal and squirting a stream of gasoline on the ground in front of it. Raph immediately lit the gasoline on fire, blocking Alexie's attempt to get back to his unconscious captive.

Don grabbed the amulet and rolled away from Alexie, coming up behind Casey, who squirted a protective line of gas in front of them. Raph's flame reached the gas before Alexie could get near the pair.

Changing course, Alexie ran for his secret exit. As fast as he was, he couldn't outrun the gasoline that Leo sprayed in front of and onto the wall. When Raph lit it up, the leaves that had collected in that spot also burst into flame.

The only opening in the growing conflagration was behind the pedestal where Leo stood. Alexie spun to go in that direction and Leo dropped the bottle, grasped his katanas and leaped at him.

Swords flashing, Leo slashed at Alexie's chest, opening a wide hole in the shaman's cape. Jumping back from the blade to avoid having his body cut as well, Alexie did not see Leo's other katana until it was touching his throat.

"Freeze," Leo commanded, his voice harsh and unyielding.

Alexie did as he was told, his wide eyed gaze glued to Leo's face. With his back against a wall, Alexie had no room to maneuver in a way that wouldn't get his neck cut.

The gas fueled flames began to die down, their energy source used up. Raph leaned down to pick up the fallen dagger, keeping the nozzle of his flame thrower at the ready.

"Donny, bring the amulet over here," Leo said. "Get that bottle of gasoline while you're at it."

Leo remained alert for any sign of movement from Alexie while he waited for Donatello. When Don arrived, Leo said, "Cover him with gas."

Removing the top from the squirt bottle, Don carefully poured gas all over Alexie's body, even dribbling some onto his hair.

When Don threw the empty bottle aside, Alexie said, "You do not have to tell me what will happen if I move."

Ignoring him, Leo said, "Raph, that flame thrower stays on Alexie here at all times."

"If he even twitches, I'll light him up," Raph said, sounding as if he looked forward to doing so.

Addressing Alexie, Leo asked, "Do the people whose souls you've stolen have to be near the amulet in order for you to put their souls back where they belong?"

"No," Alexie said, appearing to accept his fate. "A freed soul will find its way back to its host, given that said host is amongst the living."

"Then put the two that are inside this amulet back where they belong," Leo said. "Don, give him the amulet."

Don put the amulet into Alexie's outstretched hand and moved out of the way, going to stand next to Mikey's prone form.

"What incentive do I have to fulfil your request?" Alexie asked.

"You're in no position to ask for favors," Leo responded. "Put those souls back and wake Mikey; then we'll talk about your fate. Perhaps our best option would be to turn you over to your own people and let them decide on your punishment."

"As you wish," Alexie said, lifting one end of the amulet near his mouth.

Eyes closed, Alexie appeared to be focusing his energies. After a moment, his chest swelled and he placed the amulet against his lips.

With a sudden twist of his head, Alexie blew into the amulet just as the open end lined up with Leo's face. An extremely bright, glittering ball popped out of the amulet and Leo jerked back to avoid being struck by the orb.

Alexie brought his hand down and used the amulet to push the katana blade away from his throat. Sliding away from the wall, he whipped the end of his cape upwards, flicking it into Leo's eyes and then ran for the hidden exit.

Raph was still holding the silver dagger and rather than lifting the fire nozzle, his first instinct was to throw the knife.

With unerring accuracy the blade flew through the air and struck home, sinking into the back of Alexie's neck. The force of the blow knocked Alexie off of his feet and he hit the ground face first. He did not move again.

Leo approached him cautiously, his sword at the ready as he turned the man over. The tip of the dagger protruded from Alexie's throat, the point piercing the scar at his suprasternal notch.

Four small, sparkling orbs escaped through the opening in Alexie's throat and drifted upwards to join the one that Alexie had released from the amulet. Two of them suddenly darted down again, separating and going towards the deceased homeless men.

They hovered above the men for a second, then almost simultaneously winked out, as though blown out like a candle. As the group watched, the remaining three orbs flew out through the overhead windows.

"He's dead," Leo announced, looking up at Raph.

"He . . . he can't be," Raph stammered, dropping the nozzle on the flame thrower and stumbling towards Leo. "Don's soul . . . it's still stuck in that thing!"

Leo found that he was shaking and clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms so that the pain would fight his rising panic.

"Don's soul is still trapped," Leo said as he slowly stood up, "and Mikey's still under the shaman's spell."

Leo's eyes locked with Raph's, the same anguish he was feeling being reflected back at him in that golden gaze. What were they going to do now?

TBC…..


	18. Chapter 18 final

"Cut his head off," Don said calmly, walking over to where Leo stood next to the shaman. He reached down and pried the amulet from the dead man's hand.

Leo felt dazed and it took him a second to process what Don had said. "What?"

"It is the only way to be sure," Don told him. "He has come back from an injury like this before."

"Yeah," Raph said, his eyes lighting up, "yeah. Pull that dagger out and let's wait. When he wakes up we'll force him to fix Don and Mikey."

"The first time he returned he had acquired immense power," Don said. "This time he may come back with supernatural gifts that we are not equipped to deal with. We cannot take the risk. Too many lives would be in danger."

"Ya' don't even know if he will come back, or how long it might take. Ya' wanna wait around in here for a couple weeks, maybe even a few months?" Casey asked.

"Shit!" Raph shouted, storming over to Alexie's body and kicking it. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why did I have to throw that damn knife? This is my fucking fault!"

"It's no one's fault," Leo said, his voice so low it was hard to hear. "Donny's right. I'll remove his head and then we'll burn him. Burn him and the bodies."

He walked over to the wall that Alexie had been trying to reach. When he pressed his hand against the section where he'd seen the trapped leaves, it slid upwards to reveal a narrow bricked in tunnel.

"Put the men's bodies in here," Leo directed.

Casey grabbed hold of the jacket on one of the men and dragged him to the tunnel while Don did the same with the other homeless man. Raph had gone to stand next to the still unconscious Mikey, his head bowed and eyes closed.

With everyone's attention otherwise occupied, Leo bent over and pulled the dagger out of Alexie's neck. Wiping the blood off on the man's cape, Leo slid the dagger into his belt and took a deep breath before bringing his katana down to cleave Alexie's head from his torso.

Gathering a handful of hair, Leo picked up the head and threw it into the tunnel. When he stepped back he saw that Don had collected Alexie's body, tossing it on top of the two dead homeless men.

Using the remaining gasoline in his bottle, Casey drenched the bodies and then moved out of the tunnel.

"Raph," Leo said softly. When his brother didn't respond, Leo spoke a little louder. "Raphael. We need you to burn them."

"Okay," Raph said, swiping his forearm across his eyes. His shoulders sagged as he walked to the tunnel entrance and stood for a moment just staring at the remains.

"Please," Leo said in a choked voice. "Just do it."

Lifting the nozzle on the flame thrower, Raph opened it fully. Fire shot out to fill the tunnel from wall to wall, igniting the bodies. Raph kept the flame going until the tank was completely emptied, his eyes narrowed against the heat and beak wrinkled at the smell of burning flesh.

Casey placed a hand on Raph's shoulder and gently urged him out of the tunnel once his fuel was all used up.

"Don, could you turn off that generator?" Leo asked. He tossed his flashlight to Casey. "Let's get out of here."

Leo walked over to where Mikey lay and picked up his brother, cradling him against his plastron. As though there were sensors built into the wall to detect motion, when all movement ceased the wall closed, cutting off the sickening view of charred remains.

Casey flicked on the flashlight just before Don killed the generator and plunged the chamber into darkness. With Casey leading the way, the group left the mausoleum, exiting into the cool night air.

They hadn't gone far when Raph abruptly shrugged the gas canister off of his shell and fell to his knees.

"Goddammit!" Raph cursed. "This ain't right!" He looked up at Don, his expression pleading. "Come on genius, think of something! There's gotta be another way to get your soul out of that thing!"

Leo found that he too hadn't the will to keep walking. Sagging to the ground, he hugged Mikey to his chest, burying his face in his brother's neck.

"I have found nothing in my research Raphael," Don said. "If you all wish it, I will continue to dig for answers, or perhaps we could locate another shaman who might know how to operate the amulet. Whatever happens, you should not mourn for me. This is not an unpleasant existence."

"Not unpleasant?" Raph repeated incredulously. "It's fucking miserable. He took something from ya' Donny, something important. Something that means everything to us. I can't stand the thought of living without ya'."

The raw anguish in Raph's voice cut straight through Leo. He knew then that he couldn't survive knowing he would never again hear Mikey's voice, his laugh, the sound of his singing. Life meant nothing without Mikey's warmth, the precious joy he gave their existence, his energy and vivacious personality.

Just when he thought his chest might burst, Leo remembered something that Master Splinter had said to his brothers when Leo was himself close to death's door.

Eyes snapping open, Leo looked up. "Raph! Remember what Master Splinter said? When he told you that the voice of a loved one can guide a lost spirit back to its home?"

Raph brow wrinkled. "What the fuck are ya' talking . . . . Oh, shit!"

Excited, Leo said, "Take the amulet. Call to Donny's soul. The shaman already started it in this direction, it just needs a little more guidance."

The amulet dangled from Don's hand and Raph reached for it. "Give me that damn thing."

Plucking the amulet from his brother's fingers, Raph first looked into the end that Brittany's soul had escaped through. Then he lowered it until it was close to his mouth.

"Donny, Donny can ya' hear me?" Raph asked. "Come on Donny, come out of there. I need ya'; I love ya' Donny. Remember what we promised each other? Neither one of us gets to leave the other behind. Ya' promised Donny. Ya' kissed me to seal the deal. I ain't letting ya' out of it either. Come on lover, ya' don't wanna stay in there by yourself, all alone in the dark. I'm right here, just follow the sound of my voice. Ya' can do it Donny. Please baby, I love ya' too much to let ya' go like this."

Don stood next to Raph, seeming unsure as to what he should be doing. Leo was barely breathing as he stared at the amulet, silently urging Don's soul to find its way out.

As Raph continued to whisper and cajole, a shimmer of light began to reflect off of his skin. Suddenly a glowing orb burst from the end of the amulet, danced in front of Raph's face, and then flew directly into Donatello's mouth.

Don's head snapped back as though he'd been struck by something and then he collapsed. His body thrashed on the grass before going completely still.

Raph lunged at him, collecting Don into his arms. "Shit, he ain't breathing!"

"Mouth to mouth, quickly!" Leo urged.

Clamping his mouth atop Don's, Raph covered Don's nostrils and began to blow air into his brother. It only took a few breaths before Don shuddered and when Raph lifted his head, Don drew in a long, gasping breath of his own.

Don clutched at Raph's shoulder and slowly opened his eyes. A full body shiver raked over his form and then he smiled up at Raph.

"Donny!" Raph yelled gleefully, kissing Don's lips, his cheeks, his eyes before returning to his mouth.

They shared a deeply satisfying kiss before their lips separated. "Did you really just call me 'baby'?" Don asked with amusement.

"Shut up," Raph said playfully. "I was desperate."

Leo watched the scene with mixed feelings. He was more than happy that Don was back to himself again, happy that Raph had been fully reunited with the brother he loved.

But Mikey still lay limp in his arms, unresponsive to the activity around him. Leo looked into his brother's face and felt totally helpless. Sorrow overwhelmed what should have been a joyful occasion. Mikey's light was the only one Leo truly wanted to see, and it seemed he wasn't going to get his wish.

"Leo," Don said, drawing his brother's attention. He was on his knees next to Raph, both of them now focused on Mikey. "It really is hypnosis. Why don't you ask Mikey to come back to you as well?"

"Maybe a kiss will wake sleeping beauty there," Raph offered. "He's been waiting long enough for one of those, don't ya' think?"

Leo stared at them for a moment, not sure if he should allow himself some hope. Finally he nodded and settled Mikey's legs onto the grass, circling Mike's waist with one arm to keep his upper body off the ground.

Cupping the back of Mikey's head, Leo gazed into his face, wanting nothing more than to see the blue of his brother's eyes.

"Michelangelo, it's time to wake up," Leo commanded in his best leader's voice. Then softening the tone, he said, "Wake up, Mikey. There are things I want to tell you; things I need for you to hear.

"I'm a fool, Mikey. I've been looking right at you without ever realizing that you were the one who completes me. I love you. I've always loved you, I just didn't know it. Wake up so I can say it to you properly."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Mikey's. It felt so right, as though their mouths were always meant to fit together. "Wake up, Mikey," Leo whispered. "I love you."

Once again he kissed Mikey, pouring all of his feelings into it. Then Leo heard Don snap his fingers.

Mikey jerked forcefully and nearly broke Leo's hold. Opening his eyes, Leo saw Mikey looking up at him.

"Mikey," Leo breathed out in relief. "Gods, I thought I lost you. I love you so much."

Before Leo could lift his head, Mikey swung an arm around his neck and pulled him down again, capturing his brother's mouth. When Mikey's lips opened, Leo accepted the invitation and wound his tongue around his brother's. Enveloped in an almost overpowering feeling of what could only be pure love, Leo let himself become lost in their kiss.

Then Casey cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem!"

Remembering where they were, Leo and Mikey reluctantly separated.

"If ya' guys are done with the PDA's, I've got a girlfriend to get back to and your pops probably needs a ride home," Casey said.

"Girlfriend huh?" Raph asked, allowing Don to help him to his feet. "Didn't know it was official."

"Well, ya' know how it is," Casey said, flushing red and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes we do," Leo acknowledged as he pulled Mikey up and exchanged warm glances with him. "Or at least some of us do now."

Don picked up his duffel bag and Casey grabbed the flame thrower as they started back to the Battle Shell. Leo wound his fingers through Mikey's for the walk back, afraid that if he stopped touching his younger brother, Mikey would somehow slip away again.

After Leo climbed into the driver's seat but before he closed the door, Raph stopped him. "Hang on a second, okay?"

Leo watched him curiously as Raph bent down and placed something under the front wheel. When Raph straightened, he gave Leo a thumb's up and said, "Go ahead and pull forward."

Closing his door but rolling down the window, Leo drove forward slowly and clearly heard the crunch of an object being crushed under the Battle Shell's weight. He put his foot on the brake and waited for Raph to get in, glancing back to ask, "The amulet?"

"Damn straight," Raph said. "Nobody is ever gonna use that thing again."

Leo drove the Battle Shell to April's shop while Raph and Don sat together in the back. In deference to Casey's sensibilities, they kept the affectionate display down to holding hands and whispering to one another.

Leo's shell cell rang part way through the drive and Mikey answered it. "'Lo April! How's Brittany?"

 _"_ _She's back to normal!"_ April said excitedly. _"Don?"_

"Right as rain again," Mikey said. "We got the guy and he won't be stealing any more souls. Casey can tell you all about it; we're headed your way."

 _"_ _I'll let Master Splinter know,"_ April said. _"_ _Brittany's resting in my office. I told her she had a fainting spell because she's been working too hard and gave her the next couple of days off with pay._ _I'm going to run her home in my van; you guys still have a key to get in?"_

"Donny does," Mikey said. "Go ahead and take off, we'll catch up with you tomorrow."

After they hung up, Mikey turned in his seat. "April is taking Brittany home. She's got her soul back too. April said to let ourselves in. You want us to drop you at your apartment, Casey?"

"Nah, I'll wait for April to get back," Casey said. "The whole thing with lost souls and shit might have freaked her out. Don't want her to be alone."

Mikey grinned as he turned back around but held his tongue. Leo had to chuckle; they all knew it was Casey who was 'freaked out' by the evening's events. Any excuse to spend time with April was a good one in Casey's book.

"Leo, I have a question," Don said, getting his brother's attention. "When you came back with those bottles filled with gasoline, you told us to look closely for a chance to jump the shaman. You had to know that he would read that intent in your minds."

"I did," Leo said. "I was hoping that those thoughts would be strong enough to hide my real idea, which was to keep him pinned in with a ring of fire. The reason I thought it would work was because I was sure that's how Mikey managed to sneak up on him. Alexie was so focused on the four of us, that he was unaware of Mikey's thoughts."

"Actually, I was thinking more about how impressed you'd be if I got Alexie," Mikey said sheepishly. "I was imagining you rewarding me for being a hero."

"Ya' always did live more in fantasy land than in this one," Raph said as they all laughed.

"Now I have a question for you, Donny. You gave Alexie your word of honor that we wouldn't try to destroy him and then later you gave him a promise for safe passage. Yet you were the one to attack first. I was all set to uphold your word, why weren't _you_?" Leo asked.

"The concept of honor is something that comes from the heart," Don answered. "Without a soul, I couldn't actually give my word of honor. It was just a bunch of meaningless words, but Alexie didn't know that. He also didn't know that I planned to attack him because he read intent from a person's soul, and I didn't have one. In a way his downfall is ironic; Alexie stole my soul thus enabling me to have the ability to trick him."

"That guy wasn't gonna keep his side of the deal anyway," Raph said, sounding as though he were positive of that. "He'd have stolen Mikey's soul too and claimed that he wasn't harming him because Mikey was suffering from . . . uh, what's the word I'm looking for?"

He glanced over at Don who smiled. "Unrequited love."

"Yeah, that's it. He said it himself when he said Mikey's soul was perfect. He was practically smacking his lips over the nut ball. Same with Don's. Ya' notice he released Brittany's first. Don's word of honor was based on Alexie keeping his side of the bargain and he wasn't _gonna_ keep it," Raph said with a forceful nod.

"Can't kill somebody that's already dead either, right guys?" Casey asked. "I mean, he got what he deserved. I know ya' don't like killing and I wanna say up front that we didn't actually kill anyone."

"Normally we do prefer to have the courts decide someone's fate, but this wasn't anything the law would have understood," Leo said.

"The weird stuff's gotta fall to us," Raph added. "And boy oh boy, do we run across some bizarre ass things."

They had arrived at April's shop at that point. Casey offered to go up and get Master Splinter, so the brothers waited for him in the vehicle. As soon as Master Splinter stepped into the Battle Shell, his eyes fell on Don and his face was suffused by a wide smile.

"My son, you are whole again," Master Splinter said, taking Don's hands into his own.

"It's good to be back Father," Don said.

After Master Splinter was seated and buckled in, Leo waved good-bye to Casey and headed for their garage.

"Did everything go all right with Brittany?" Leo asked, glancing into the rear view mirror at his father. "Don gave us a little scare and I'm worried about the two other people whose souls were released."

"Miss Brittany experienced some discomfort when her soul reentered her body," Master Splinter said. "Miss O'Neil caught her before she hit the ground and with my assistance we positioned her so that she was on her back. Once her soul had settled back into its place inside of her, Miss Brittany began to breathe on her own."

"Do you think those other two victims will be okay?" Leo asked. "One is an elderly man."

"Yes, they will be fine, whether someone is with them or not," Master Splinter. "Their souls will not return just to have them die. It is not the nature of a soul to give up its host so easily."

Raph looked over at Don and squeezed his hand. "I still like my way of bringing Donny back around, even if he would've woken up on his own."

They pulled into the garage and Leo parked the Battle Shell. When they disembarked, he said, "Mikey can help me lock up, why don't you all go to bed? It's pretty late."

Don looked at him knowingly and Raph said, "You can bet we're going to bed. If ya' two want some sleep, I'd suggest ya' pick a room far from Donny's."

The implication was quite clear, just as Raph meant it to be. Leo found it amusing to see Don blush; never having known his brother to be flustered by anything, it gave him a warm feeling inside.

As he entered the elevator with Don and Raph, Master Splinter said, "I am glad that my room is on the lower floor and far away from you boys."

Almost as soon as the elevator's doors closed, Mikey turned to Leo and said, "Wanna turn out the lights, climb into the back of the Battle Shell, and tell me how much you love me again?"

Rather than trying to come up with a witty response, Leo pulled Mikey into his arms and kissed him. Mikey's churr was as gratifying as the kiss.

"I love you Michelangelo," Leo said, staring into his brother's alluring blue eyes. "Forgive me for not realizing it sooner?"

"Sure," Mikey said. "I love you too, Leo. Probably always have. I think I did a lot of showing off just to get you to notice me, but you know, your attention went another direction."

He looked down as he said that and Leo cupped his chin, lifting Mikey's eyes back up to his. "My feelings for Raph weren't real. I realized after this thing with the shaman started to happen that my feelings were an infatuation, something that stemmed from my need to have Raph follow my lead because he's always fighting me. It was probably a response to the pheromones he was giving off too, due to his love for Donny."

"Then you had to go and wait until I was at death's door before you knew that you loved me," Mikey said dramatically, though there was a touch of hurt underlining his words.

"I knew before then," Leo said, kissing a corner of Mikey's mouth. "I didn't want to make another fool of myself, Mikey. I could only guess at how you felt; what if I was wrong? What if all you meant to offer me was brotherly support? The one thing I did not want to do was to alienate you. I would rather have kept my feelings for you to myself and continue to have a close relationship with you, than to make you so uncomfortable that you didn't want to spend time with me."

"We need to work on our communication," Mikey said. "Wanna share a room with me? Mine's bigger and farther away from Don's."

Leo laughed. "You have the biggest room because you laid claim to all of them when Master Splinter found the lair."

"You snooze, you lose," Mikey said.

"Opportunist. Speaking of which, you really need to learn not to count your victories before you have them. Crowing over Alexie before he was actually out cold got you into trouble," Leo scolded.

"Ouch. I should have known you wouldn't let that go," Mikey said and then added with a mischievous grin. "I can count you as a win though, can't I?"

Tightening his grip on Mikey, Leo leaned in close and said, "Yes you can. Want to go upstairs and see if we can outdo Raph and Don on the noise meter?"

"Yep," Mikey agreed enthusiastically. "You know I love a good challenge."

"So do I," Leo whispered, "but I love you more."

The End


End file.
